Abena B.

Graduate Research Assistant @Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute

Pittsburgh, PA, US

My research focuses on using participatory design paradigms and user-centered design methods to design supportive agents for people with disabilities (PwDs) within the space of human-robot interaction (HRI). Specifically, I focus on socially assistive agents to promote human mental well-being and physically assistive robots to support PwDs with their daily tasks.I work with diverse populations of PwDs, including people who are blind or have low vision (BLV) and people with mobility disabilities (PwMDs), and people with chronic anxiety.Projects include- robotic mobility aids to assist pBLVs with independent navigation- delivery robots used by pBLVs and PwMDs customers; and - agentic interfaces to support emotion regulation in people with chronic anxietyAs an HRI researcher, my work incorporates mixed methods. I have honed my skills by incorporating both qualitative methods (e.g, interview, contextual inquiry, co-design & participatory design) and quantitative research (e.g, A/B testing, experimental studies). I am particularly comfortable leveraging approaches and collaborating with scholars from across disciplines, including robotics and machine learning, design research, and psychology.