Let's talk robotics with Dr Wafa Johal
Joining me in today’s episode is Assistant Professor Wafa Johal. Wafa is a Lecturer at the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales.
Previously Wafa was a researcher at the CHILI 🌶️ Lab and Mobots 🤖 Group at EPFL. She holds a PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Grenoble Alps. Her research aims at creating acceptable and useful assistive robot interactions using social signal sensing, affective and cognitive reasonning and natural expressivity. Her latest work has investigated the use of tangible robots in education and rehabiliation.
Wafa is currently the Early Career Academic representatitive for the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the Early Career Academic Network (ECAN) and the ECA Eng. representative at the Faculty Board. She is also the treasurer for the newly created #SydCHI Local Chapter.
Today we talk about:
. What bought you to Australia?
Her research enables robots to provide close, continuous and personalized assistance to people adapting to their capabilities. What does this mean and can you give us some examples please?
Her latest research has investigated the use of tangible robots in education and rehabilitation. Tell us more about this please?
What excites you about the work you are doing?
If you had a message for girls in schools debating if they should go into STEM or Humanities, what would you say to them?
Do you have a mentor? Do you think it’s important to have one?
Contact Wafa at wafa.johal@unsw.edu.au