Patrícia Alves-Oliveira, assistant professor of robotics, received a DARPA Young Faculty Award for “Authenticity Markers in Artist-Robot Interaction,” a project developing methods to authenticate artwork by analyzing their entire creative process.
“In this project, we’re not just looking at the final painting,” said Alves-Oliveira.
“We’re focusing on dynamic biometrics instead of static biometrics: the movements of a painter when they paint, gaze patterns of where, how and how long we look at things.”
Alves-Oliveira directs the Robot Studio, a research lab dedicated to human-robot interaction at the University of Michigan. The lab’s focuses on how robots impact health, creativity, education, and social interactions. One of her notable projects involved developing YOLO (Your Own Living Object), a social robot designed to stimulate creativity in children. This child-proof robot uses machine learning algorithms to adapt its behavior based on the child’s play patterns.
Other research projects of the lab include: Designing assistive robotics that can help people with disabilities while in social dining situations Exploring social robots to deliver mental health training to youth in juvenile detention Engaging pediatric patients with a robot character to improve their experience during medical eye exams
Prior to U-M, Alves-Oliveira worked as a Senior UX Designer at Amazon Lab 126, where she worked on the Astro robot program.
Alves-Oliveira’s multidisciplinary approach to robotics, combining elements of psychology, design, and engineering, while developing, teaching, and learning technologies and socially engaged systems to improve everyday life reflect the mission and vision of Michigan Robotics.