I am a human-robot interaction specialist, who cares deeply about taking a more human-centered approach to the design of robotic systems. With a background in cognitive science, psychology, and human-computer interaction, I examine human encounters with increasingly autonomous technologies. I received B.A.s in cognitive science and psychology from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in communication from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in communication from Stanford University. I was also a tenured Associate Professor at UC Santa Cruz until 2022 when I left to pursue my Hoku Labs work.
Beyond my academic work, I have led user-experience research for Project Wing and other robotics projects at Google X. At Willow Garage, I led and managed a team that worked on the design of PR2 (a mobile manipulation research robot), the Beam telepresence robots, and ROS (the open-source robot operating system). I have served as a World Economic Forum Global Futures Council Member and Young Global Leader. In 2015, I was presented the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Early Career Award. In 2012, I was named a TR35 winner and one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company. I have served on advisory boards for Suitable Technologies (acquired by Blue Ocean Robotics), Cobalt Robotics, and Companion.
In case you’re wondering, my first name is pronounced “Lay-lah” like the Eric Clapton song. For more information, please see my personal website, resume, and CV.