Short CV
Dr. Leila Takayama is a Human-Robot Interaction researcher. At Robust.AI, she serves as VP of Design and Human-Robot Interaction. Prior to Robust.AI, she was a tenured professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a senior user experience researcher at GoogleX, and a research scientist and manager for human-robot interaction at Willow Garage. Since 2016, she has run Hoku Labs as a consulting business, translating human-robot interaction research into actionable recommendations for the design of robotic products and services. Her clients include Fortune 100 companies, tech startups, and non-profit organizations. She has contributed to over a dozen robot products, including drones in the air; industrial, service, and consumer robots on the ground; and uncrewed robotic systems in the ocean. She has served as a World Economic Forum Global Futures Council Member and Young Global Leader. In 2015, she was presented the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Early Career Award.
In 2012, she was named a TR35 winner by MIT’s Technology Review. With a background in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Human-Computer Interaction, she examines human encounters with new technologies. Professor Takayama completed her PhD in Communication at Stanford University in 2008, advised by Professor Clifford Nass. During her graduate studies, she was a research assistant in the User Interface Research (UIR) group at Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). More info on www.leilatakayama.org.
Selected Awards
- 2015, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Early Career Award
- 2013, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
- 2012, Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 (TR35)
- 2012, PopTech Science Fellowship
- 2012, Fast Company 100 Most Creative People in Business
- 2011, Silicon Valley 40 Under 40
- 2008, Nathan Maccoby Outstanding Dissertation Award (granted only in years when justified)
Research Interests
Psychology of human-robot interaction (HRI), Psychology of human-computer interaction (HCI), Telepresence, Ubiquitous computing
Selected Publications
- Takayama, L. (2017). The motivations of ubiquitous computing: Revisiting the ideas behind and beyond the prototypes. Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 21, 1-13.
- Srinivasan, V. & Takayama, L. (2016). Help me please: Robot politeness strategies for soliciting help from humans. Proceedings of Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI 2016, 4945-4955.
- Johnson, S., Rae, I. Mutlu, B. & Takayama, L. (2015). Can you see me now? How field of view affects collaboration in robotic telepresence. Proceedings of Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI 2015, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 2397-2406.
- Alexandrova, S., Cakmak, M., Hsiao, K., & Takayama, L. (2014). Robot programming by demonstration with interactive action visualizations. Proceedings of Robotics Science and Systems: RSS 2014, Berkeley, California.
- Takayama, L. (2012). Perspectives on agency: Interacting with and through personal robots. In Zacarias, M. & Oliveira, J. V. (Eds.), Human-Computer Interaction: The Agency Perspective. Springer, 195-214.
- Takayama, L., Pantofaru, C., Robson, D., Soto, B., & Barry, M. (2012). Making technology homey: Finding sources of satisfaction and meaning in home automation. Proceedings of Ubiquitous Computing: Ubicomp 2012, Pittsburgh, PA, 511-520.
- Lee, M. K. & Takayama, L. (2011). “Now, I have a body”: Uses and social norms of mobile remote presence in the workplace. Proceedings of Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI 2011, Vancouver, CA, 33-42.
- Beer, J. M. & Takayama, L. (2011). Mobile remote presence systems for older adults: Acceptance, benefits, and concerns. Proceedings of Human-Robot Interaction: HRI 2011, Lausanne, CH, 19-26.
- Klemmer, S. R., Hartmann, B., & Takayama, L. (2006). How bodies matter: Five themes for interaction design. Proceedings of Designing Interactive Systems: DIS 2006, USA, 140-148.
- Takayama, L., & Nass, C. (2008). Assessing the effectiveness of interactive media in improving drowsy driver safety. Human Factors, 50(5), 772-781.
Publications as TUM-IAS-Fellow