Welcome Katie, we’re excited to have you on board! Katie joins us as one of the Lead Researchers who will be working on enhancing the MiRo-E robot user experience. Scroll down to read about Katie in her own words.
Katie Riddoch - Lead Researcher at Consequential Robotics
In September last year I took a break from my PhD, and worked for Consequential Robotics (CqR) as an intern. A few months later, I find myself on the payroll – working for CqR on a part-time basis. Now one month into my new role, I’d like to share some of the exciting initiatives that I will be working on.
My Background
After college I struggled to settle into University – bouncing from studying Marine Sciences, to Renewable Energy Engineering. I did love learning about animals, and how they could inspire technology (biomimetics), but I wanted to learn more about the people interacting with these machines. As a result, I switched to studying Psychology (the study of mind and behaviour) and I haven’t looked back since! After a few years of studying Psychology, the brain, and how to conduct scientific experiments, I find myself here – doing a PhD, and working with Consequential Robotics.
My Role at Consequential Robotics
As a Lead Researcher, my focus is on enhancing the user experience. I do this by interviewing users and stakeholders, and visiting sites where MiRo is being used (e.g. schools, hospitals, research organisations, etc). It’s wonderful to see MiRo being enjoyed by so many, and to collect valuable feedback on how to improve the current system. By working part-time; I can finish my PhD studies at the University of Glasgow, but I intend to make a splash regardless! Stay tuned for some exciting new updates and developments!
What is your PhD about?
In my PhD (funded by the ESRC and supervised by Professor Emily Cross) I study what happens when humans interact with “social robots” – robots designed to interact with people and their environment. Specifically, I’m interested in whether people can become attached to robotics, and whether interacting with a robot could improve health and well-being (e.g., by reducing loneliness). In a recent experiment, I brought people into the lab to spend some time with a robot, then asked them to hit it with a hammer. I was interested to see whether people would hesitate, and why! Read the publication here. In my upcoming work I will be seeing if pet dog behaviours translate well into the MiRo platform!
Best Thing about Working with CqR so far
Every person in the company seems really passionate about their work, and they’re all very enthusiastic and proactive as a result. It’s rare that my inbox is empty – people are always messaging one another to help each other out, troubleshoot together, or run new ideas by us all! They’re also passionate about using MiRo for good – to help people, aid scientific understanding, and to inspire young people to excite people about robotics and programming.
I look forward to the coming year with Consequential robotics!
Katie Riddoch - Robot Friends – Science Fiction or Reality?