Leila Takayama, PhD
I am a human-robot interaction specialist, who cares deeply about taking a more human-centered approach to the design of robotic systems. With a background in cognitive science, psychology, and human-computer interaction, I examine human encounters with increasingly autonomous technologies. I received B.A.s in cognitive science and psychology from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in communication from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in communication from Stanford University. I was also a tenured Associate Professor at UC Santa Cruz until 2022 when I left to pursue my Hoku Labs work.
Beyond my academic work, I have led user-experience research for Project Wing and other robotics projects at Google X. At Willow Garage, I led and managed a team that worked on the design of PR2 (a mobile manipulation research robot), the Beam telepresence robots, and ROS (the open source robot operating system). I have served as a World Economic Forum Global Futures Council Member and Young Global Leader. In 2015, I was presented the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Early Career Award. In 2012, I was named a TR35 winner and one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company. I have served on advisory boards for Suitable Technologies (acquired by Blue Ocean Robotics), Cobalt Robotics, Companion, and Farm-ng.
In case you’re wondering, my first name is pronounced “Lay-lah” like the Eric Clapton song. For more information, please see my research publications in Google Scholar, personal website, resume, and CV.
I love sharing human-robot interaction insights
I do public speaking, keynote presentations, and technical research talks for a wide variety of audiences. Doing the research is only half of the work. An important next step is sharing research insights with others (beyond our research communities).
Trying my hand at flying a deep sea ROV
Stepping up to the mic
Presenting at AAAS
Collaborating with MBARI colleagues on long-range AUVs
World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council in Abu Dhabi
Media coverage of my HRI research
Catbot illustration by Nick Vargas
Duck lady robot illustration by Rutu Modan