User:Daniel M. Lofaro

Name: Daniel M. Lofaro Field: Robotics - Engineering Affiliation: Drexel University (PhD Student) Home Page: http://robotics.ece.drexel.edu

I am one of the primary caretakers of the adult size humanoid robots named Jaemi Hubo. I am currently working on Human Robot Interaction (HRI) and Robot Human Interaction (RHI).

Biography:

In 2008 I graduated from Drexel University with a M.S. and B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Control Systems. That same year I was awarded the NSF-EAPSI fellowship that assisted me in collaborating with, and researching at, Hubo Lab in Daejeon, South Korea. I received Honorable Mention for the 2008-2009 NSF-GRFP. I am currently working towards my PhD in Robotics while working in DASL1 directed by Dr. Paul Oh of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Drexel University. My ultimate goal in life is to teach:

Growing up, I was inspired by television’s most popular smart man, Bill Nye the Science Guy. Watching his show made me realize that science is the field where I find the most contentment and gratification. Knowing I am passionate about engineering and technology, specifically robotics, has helped me to identify that my ultimate goal is to be like Bill Nye; a man who shares his wealth of scientific information through fun and exciting demonstrations for children. I even apply skills from my other activities to advance my progress towards my goal. As an avid string musician, I am accustomed to performing in front of crowds, and I have already applied my public presentation skills to teaching kids about electronics and my research in robotics. How I am pursuing my goal of teaching:

The main subject of my current project is Jaemi Hubo. Jaemi is a 4′3″ tall fully actuated humanoid biped robot that I brought home from the Hubo Lab in South Korea. Jaemi is the most versatile, interactive, and complex robot I have ever worked with. One of my most recent ventures in pursuing my goal of becoming the next Bill Nye is being the front man for Jaemi Hubo’s public demonstrations. A recent demonstration was at the Philadelphia Please Touch Museum (PTM) where the Jaemi Hubo team and I gave educational and engaging presentations with Jaemi. The presentations included a game of Simon Says to an audience of children between the ages of four and seven ultimately having the broader impact of exposing children to the exciting aspects of science and technology (see Figure 1). The event consisted of ten demonstrations over a period of three days and was well received by the children, parents, and press (both in print and broadcast). In addition to being the front man for Jaemi Hubo I am also involved with other organizations/events that help teach and excite students about science and technology. Over the past seven years I have also been volunteering with FIRST Robotics; the past three of which I have been one of the coaches for the all girls robotics team, Team 709, from the Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA. I also work with IEEE, HKN, ASME, and COE to design, organize, and hold original events such as, but not limited to, the events listed in the competitions section of this website.

I live by the motto I received in a fortune cookie “You can do anything in life you put your mind to.” I believe that the best way to put your mind to something is to do it. Being a kinematic learner I know that I learn best through doing. The latter is proven through my work experience at multiple engineering firms as an assistant design engineer (see CV for dates and employers)5. While at these jobs I learned how to apply my knowledge on a practical level, thus increasing my understanding of the material ten-fold. This is why I like to create engineering and science related competitions, so younger students can learn through experiencing the technology. In addition to competitions I have also created two classes, one for high school students and one for university students. These classes teach mechatronics and the design cycle through hands-on learning using readily accessible materials. To prove the classes’ intellectual merit they were tested via a case study at Drexel University. They were then published and presented to other educators at the FIRA 2009 Conference. The classes were extremely well accepted at their debut because of their intellectual merit and positive broader impacts on education. The accompanying paper4 is discussed in greater detail in the Previous Research section. More information about my competitions and teaching methods can be found through out my website. My plans for the future:

Currently I have three competitions planned and multiple others in the works. I will continue to travel to South Korea every few months to work at Hubo Lab. These visits help fortify our partnership with Hubo Lab and help advance the field of Humanoid Robotics for both the United States and South Korea. I see how the world is becoming flat where the new market is the global market; With South Korea as a stepping stone I am expanding my competitions, demonstrations, and classes to the rest of the world, facilitating an international positive broader impact. I hope my personal statement has proven to you that I am a motivated, self driver, and a socially active individual who wants the best education possible for every student, not only because it is the right thing to do but because I enjoy doing it.