Clare Hess completes summer internship at HFI
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A rising sophomore studying computer science and cognitive studies at Vanderbilt University, Clare Hess wanted to get involved in hands-on lab research while home in Cleveland for the summer. After discovering the Social and Physical Human-Robot Interaction (SaPHaRI) Lab at Case Western Reserve University, she reached out to the lab director, Assistant Professor Alexis E. Block. She interviewed with Dr. Block and several team members before joining the lab for the summer.
Before coming to the SaPHaRI Lab and the Human Fusions Institute, Hess had never worked in the field of human-robot interaction. “I had no idea how broad the field of human-robot interaction was,” she said. “I think it’s really cool how knowledge about human behavior, social interaction, and psychology can directly influence the way robots and other technologies are designed.” She primarily worked on two projects: the Human Comforting Touch Project, led by Ph.D. student Lilia Colbrunn, in which she collected data in a motion capture environment while pairs of participants interacted supportively, and the Affect-Sensing Wearables project, led by undergraduate student Noah Medrano, for which she conducted demonstrations, debugged the existing wearable, and researched, designed, and prototyped new ways for the wearable to express information. Her contributions to the Human Touch Comforting Project, including creating materials, conducting pilot studies, and contributing to the research paper, significantly enhanced her research skills and understanding of experimental design.
While at CWRU and HFI, Hess particularly enjoyed working with the motion capture equipment. “I had never been exposed to that type of technology before, and I am not sure where else I would have had the opportunity to learn how to use it,” she said. “Working with the system has already made me think about all the potential applications of that technology in research and beyond.” Her hands-on experience with this technology broadened her technical skills. Having enjoyed working with faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates across HFI at different stages of their careers during the summer, she is proud to have expanded her skill set across different disciplines. “My time in the lab has helped me become a more well-rounded student and researcher,” she said. “I began the internship with limited electrical engineering experience, and I gained hands-on experience working with electronics through the Affect-Sensing Wearables project.”
As Hess prepares to return to Vanderbilt, she looks forward to taking a mixture of computer science, mathematics, neuroscience, and psychology classes. Having taken a few psychology classes in the past, her time in the SaPHaRI lab “helped me understand how concepts from my courses can be applied to experimental design and real-world research.”
“It has been a true pleasure working with Clare this summer,” said Dr. Block. “Her energy and enthusiasm are palpable and infectious. She impressed me with her strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and ability to quickly learn new skills. She made meaningful contributions to multiple interdisciplinary research projects, and I am confident that she has a very bright future ahead of her. Clare will always be welcome back in the SaPHaRI Lab!”
