Smart Interfaces for Effective Machine-Human-Environment Interaction
Project Description
This project focuses on creating intuitive and adaptive interfaces to enhance interaction between humans, machines, and their surrounding environments. As smart environments and machines, including robots, become increasingly prevalent in daily life—from healthcare and education to household assistance—the need for user-friendly, context-aware communication platforms is more urgent than ever. This project aims to prototype an interface (e.g., voice, touch, gesture, or mixed-mode) deployable on mobile or embedded devices, integrating sensors and intelligent feedback to ensure smooth and effective interaction. By leveraging basic machine learning or rule-based logic, the system will be capable of interpreting user input and responding appropriately to environmental cues. The final deliverable will be a working prototype that demonstrates a compelling human-robot-environment interaction scenario.
Supervisor
SHEN, Yajing
Quota
2
Course type
UROP1100
UROP2100
UROP3100
UROP3200
UROP4100
Applicant's Roles
The student will take a leading role in the design, development, and testing of the interface prototype. Responsibilities include conducting background research on existing human-machine interaction models, selecting suitable hardware and software platforms, and designing the interaction flow. The student will also be responsible for coding the front-end interface and implementing basic logic for user and environment input processing. Collaboration with peers or mentors for feedback and iterative improvement is encouraged. Depending on interest and capability, the applicant may also explore simple AI or sensor integration to enhance contextual awareness. Regular reporting and documentation will be expected, along with a final presentation or demo.
Requirement:
1. self-motivated
2. skillful at software programming
3. at least two days per week
Requirement:
1. self-motivated
2. skillful at software programming
3. at least two days per week
Applicant's Learning Objectives
This project will help the student build interdisciplinary skills at the intersection of robotics, human-computer interaction (HCI), and user-centered design. The student will learn how to translate user needs into functional design requirements, apply HCI principles to interface development, and gain hands-on experience with relevant development tools (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Unity, or Flutter). Through this process, they will also practice problem-solving, critical thinking, and iterative prototyping. If applicable, the student may gain basic exposure to machine learning models or sensor data processing to enhance interface intelligence. By the end of the project, the student should be able to articulate the design choices they made and evaluate their system’s usability and responsiveness in a real-world context.
Complexity of the project
Challenging