Postdoc
I’m a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, working under the supervision of Dr. Wafa Johal. My research areas include assistive technology design, human-robot interaction, agent-based modeling, and control theory. Before joining the CHRI team, I received my joint-Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Human-Robot Interaction from Tufts University, successfully defending my dissertation - “Human-Robot Interactions in Supervision of Robots by People With Blindness and Low Vision” - in May 2024. Before that, I received my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 2019, where I first discovered my love for control theory and advanced assistive technology design.
I am espcially interested in the collaborations that occur in the interdisciplinary field of Human-Robot Interaction - in particular, observing how someone’s “home discipline” or personal background influences their approach to research and design in this space. When specifically talking about assistive design of complex technological systems, I am interested in optimizing the inclusion of people with disabilities in the design process in a way that increases the adoption and acceptance of new technologies and educates new designers on inclusivity without contributing to disability advocacy fatigue.
Contact me: audrey[dot]balaska[at]unimelb[dot]edu[dot]au
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