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Ayanna M. Howard

Robotic systems

The future of robotic systems is under way in the laboratory of Dr. Ayanna M. Howard, an associate professor with Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), who is now conducting research in association with the Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC).

Howard, who works with ECE's Systems and Controls group, performs research on transplanting human-like reasoning powers into robotic systems. She founded the Human-Automation Systems (HumAnS) Laboratory, located in the Technology Square Research Building that houses GEDC.

Her research has resulted in more than 60 written works on numerous projects, from landing on Mars to autonomous rover navigation. From 1993-2005, Howard worked at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she led research efforts on various robotic projects.

Her primary emphasis is on space and field robotics, to help robots act robustly, and safely, among humans in hazardous environments, in space and in the home. Robotics, she says, needs to transition successfully from the research environment to industry, and GEDC can provide the foundation for allowing this to happen.

She was recently named to the 2006 class of Young Global Leaders, an international award that recognizes business, government, and academic leaders who are 40 years old or younger. She was also chosen as one of the top young innovators of 2003 by the MIT Technology Review, and she appeared in Time magazine's "Rise of the Machines" article in 2004.

Howard received a B.S. in electrical engineering from Brown University, an M.S.E.E. from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California in 1999.

Phone: 404-385-4824
Fax: 404-894-4701
E-mail: ayanna.howard@ece.gatech.edu
More information: http://faculty.ece.gatech.edu/ayanna.howard