VELENTZA Anna-Maria

Human-Robot Interaction researcher, combining Psychology, Computer Science, and Robotics, with a purpose to build robots for social good, applying qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve it, dedicated to put the humans in the middle of any design process that affects them. Passionate about finding the ideal specifications for a robot or smart device based on users needs and vice versa, excited to hold a new technology, testing its usability and finding the ideal usage and target audience for it!

I obtained my PhD from the LIRES Lab, University of Macedonia, GR, and as a Fulbright Scholar in the Interaction Lab, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, USA. I completed my M.Sc. in Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics at the University of Birmingham, UK and my B.Sc. in Psychology at the University of Crete, GR. My research focuses on embodied conversational agents and how to leverage AI and robotics in applications supporting vulnerable populations. I have participated in Erasmus+ KA2-STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, H2020-SEAC-2015, Horizon2020-FETHPC, ICT-2014.

Art, reading performances and films is my side project, experimenting on how robots can support and co-exist in a feminist, queer, and supportive environment.