CS&E Students Travel to Design Competition in Japan
Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CS&E) undergraduate students traveled to Japan this spring for a design competition at the premier international conference of human-computer interaction. The team, including Justin Mehes, Christopher Johnson, Ahmed Y. Hassanein, Srinivas Addepalli, and Aarussh Vaid, was selected to present their work at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Japan along with 18 teams from different countries. Their design project, titled “Fostering Positive Connections Through Interactive Massages: HAPPI”, aims to combat loneliness.
The idea for HAPPI started when the team researched how loneliness has become an increasing problem across the globe, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are still adjusting to post-COVID life. Statistically, loneliness affects one in four people globally and can lead to potential deaths. The design process started in fall 2024 with the course CSCI 5127W - Embodied Computing: Design & Prototyping, taught by associate professor Lana Yarosh. During the course, the team identified a problem, conducted literature reviews, designed an IRB-approved study, and interviewed stakeholders. Using qualitative analysis, they developed a robot design that formed the basis of their research paper.
“Our research paper was a rigorous process, because not only we followed the user-centered design approach and other principles that were covered in the course, but we also went above and beyond,” Mehes said. “For example, we deployed our robot multiple times on campus so that we could iteratively improve our design using user feedback. Submitting the research paper itself to the competition was an optional component of the course, which required extensive revisions to our paper, video, and poster over the winter break.”
HAPPI fosters positive connections through interactive messages. The robot has a facade that acts as a public message board. The concept involves a public display where people can write down or share a picture in response to the uplifting prompts on the robot. These responses are then randomly selected and printed when people choose to view others' messages. Viewing these messages as a physical medium is more effective to offer a positive boost and foster a sense of connection and community with other people. HAPPI takes a public space approach to connect many people in a crowded area.
“We looked at many previous researches and projects that aimed to tackle the problem of loneliness, but found that most solutions were peer-to-peer robots,” Mehes said. “Such observations made us want to tackle the problem in a public space setting through a robot that can engage with many individuals, because we saw that this was an influential yet under-researched area.”
Their robot design earned the opportunity to compete at the conference in Japan. During their trip, the design team toured around Japan and spoke with other professionals and students in the field. The conference featured interactive sessions with other research projects involving live demos and opportunities for direct engagement.
“The more people you meet, the more you can learn,” Johnson said. “That’s what made the whole trip so meaningful - meeting these people and gaining their viewpoints.”
Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Thomas Niccum and Nancy Dowling, as well as alumni and friends who supported 2024’s Give to the Max Day Campaign, Mehes and Johnson were able to travel overseas and participate in this transformative opportunity.
“Experiences like these, especially for undergraduate students, can be really eye-opening, ” Mehes said. "It opened my eyes to what it’s like doing research in the field and shows how impactful your research can be. At the conference, we got to see - other research going on at universities from all over the world, which was really inspirational. [Private support for student travel is] really impactful for younger students who are starting their academic careers, since it can impact their decisions about what they want to do in the future - pursuing a higher degree so that they can do more research.”
Student travel to conferences and competitions provides invaluable opportunities for learning, growth, and connection beyond the classroom. For more information on supporting students through funds like the Dr. Thomas Niccum and Nancy Dowling Travel Award Fund, please contact Lexi Thompson, Associate Director of Advancement, at [email protected] or 612-626-0004.
Learn more about the team’s project by checking out their project video or reading their final paper.