Jeff Krichmar

I am a professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. I have spent nearly 20 years trying to understand how the brain works and to use this knowledge to create intelligent systems. My research interests include brain-based robots or neurorobots, and mathematical models of brain function. I have a passion for getting students excited at an early age in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

To help with STEM education, my group has developed inexpensive, yet highly capable robots built around Android Smartphones. Building instructions, software examples, and other information can be found at:

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma/ABR/

To pursue the goal of better understanding the brain through mathematical, my group has created and supports a simulation environment for developing large-scale brain models, which is available at:

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma/CARLsim/.

Xinyun Zou

I received a B.S.E. in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Economics from Duke University in 2016. I spent the last two years at Duke working on an independent research project on biologically-plausible Hodgkin-Huxley multi-compartment neuron modeling with external stimuli, as well as collaborating with a PhD student on SNN-controlled locomotion of a virtual hexapod. I currently am a first-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. My research interests include neurorobotics, applications of biologically plausible models on embedded devices, emotional processing of robotics, and human-robot interaction.

Nick Pereira

I am a senior level undergrad student working towards a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. I interned in a Quality Engineering department for Satellite applications in 2015 and assisted my dad in starting a handyman business in the summer of 2016. In addition to my full time student status, I continue to develop my automotive and robotics hobbies. I am working with Professor Krichmar, Tiffany, Xinyun, Guy and Alex on the Android Based Rescue Robotics program for my senior design project.

Tiffany Hwu

I am a 3rd Year PhD Student in Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. I received a B.A. in Computer Science and Cognitive Science at the University of California, Berkeley, where I worked on a Bayesian music recommender system based on a psychological model of similarity judgment. I continue to research cognitive science applications to real world problems, such as search and rescue missions and self-driving cars. My current research interests include biologically inspired spatial navigation, transfer learning, neurorobotics, and decision making.

Guy Nimrodi

I am a senior Mechanical Engineering undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine. I have nearly 2 years of experience interning in industry leading Medical Device companies. During the summer of 2015, I worked at a Robots and BioMedical MicroSystems laboratory at the University of Tel Aviv, Israel. I am currently a development engineering intern at NuVasive in San Diego and a member of the Rescue Robotics Ground team at UCI.