Henny Admoni uses her background in computer science and cognitive psychology to design, implement and evaluate robots and AI that can improve the quality of people’s lives. Currently the A. Nico Habermann Assistant Professor, Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, she is conducting research pertaining to human-robot interaction, assistive robots, human-centred learning and modelling human behaviour. Henny is now available to speak at a wide range of events on topics like robotic healthcare, fighting the diversity, equity, and inclusion gap in technology, and building ethical AI in a skeptical world.
After she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Computational Cognitive Science and Master’s degree in Computer Science from Wesleyan University, Henny worked on her Ph.D. studies in Computer Science from Yale University. In 2015, she began working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University and later was an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University for around three years. As the A. Nico Habermann Assistant Professor, Robotics Institute, she leads the Human and Robot Partners (HARP) Lab, working on collaborative and assistive AI and robot systems.
A specialist in non-verbal communication, assistive machines and the future of work, Henny’s research is catered to developing a deeper understanding of robots and their capabilities, in order to debunk the misconceptions surrounding them. Applying findings from human psychology to robots, is the key to developing truly assistive robots that can prove beneficial in performing complex tasks like eating a meal or learning a new skill according to Henny. Therefore, her work revolves around using the models of human attention such as perceiving social cues, or innate human behaviours to base robot behaviours on, so that they can be of better service to human beings.
Often featured on platforms like NPR, Voice of America News and WESA, Henny’s work has also been featured in leading publications like The Financial Times, MACH, GeekWire, IEEE Spectrum and Siliconrepublic. Having been invited to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020, Henny is a seasoned speaker. Informative, inventive and incredible, Henny Admoni is definitely a speaker you should consider booking for you next event. Enquire today!
