Human-Robot Interaction (Spring 2027)

Course Info

Syllabus (coming soon)

Time: TBD
Location: TBD, Indiana University
Instructor: Michelle Zhao

Office Hours: TBD

Course Description

The basic objective in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is to create natural and effective interactions between people and robots. This area is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together methods and techniques from robotics, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, design, psychology, education, and other fields. This course provides an introductory-level overview of the field of HRI. It is primarily lecture-based, with in-class participatory exercises, assignments, a final exam, and a group term project that will enable students to put theory to practice. Topics covered will include technologies that enable human-robot interactions, the psychology of interaction between people and robots, and how to design and conduct HRI studies. This course has no prerequisites, but some basic familiarity with programming is recommended for the term project.

Should I take this course? This class is designed for advanced undergraduates who are interested in a survey of human-robot interaction. While we will cover some specific algorithms and techniques, the main goal of the class is to provide a broad view of this diverse and interdisciplinary field, which includes learning about the computer science, engineering, psychology, and design aspects of HRI. The term project will give students a chance to delve deeply into a specific area of interest. Students will get the most out of this class if they complete assigned readings, participate during class, and put consistent effort toward their term project throughout the semester.

Schedule (Tentative)

Dates will be posted once the Spring 2027 academic calendar is finalized.