Welcome to the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Laboratory (RASL) at Vanderbilt University. We are dedicated to developing new generations of robots and computer-based intelligent systems that are able to interact with people in a smooth and natural way. Examples of our work include virtual reality systems that can sense human emotions from various implicit signals and cues such as one’s physiology, gestures, and facial expressions. The applications of our research range from helping individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism, schizophrenia, and dementia in learning new skills, to aiding stroke patients regaining some of their movement abilities through robot-assisted rehabilitation, and to providing more autonomy in robots for a variety of tasks.
Here at RASL, we welcome faculty, students, and research staff from a multitude of technical backgrounds, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, psychology and human development, nursing, and medical school. Although primarily a graduate research lab, we encourage and provide research experience to both undergraduate and high school students.