CV

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Research Interests

I study how robotic systems can behave in ways that feel intuitive and natural to humans, with a focus on understanding the behavioral and contextual cues that shape human perception of robot motion, and using these insights to design more seamless and ergonomic interactions.

• Human–Robot Interaction (HRI)
• Wearable Robotics
• Supernumerary Robotic Limbs
• Embodied AI
• Generative Models for Robotics
• Multimodal Perception
• Human Motion Modeling
• Scene Understanding

Education

• Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science, HCI Lab, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany (Jan 2021 – Present)
• M.Sc. in Computer Science, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany (Apr 2017 – Dec 2020)
  • GPA: 1.8 (German grading system)
• B.Sc. in Computer Hardware Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (2008 – 2013)
  • Last 5 semesters GPA: 16.09/20.0

Work experience

• Jan 2021 – Present: Ph.D. Researcher in Wearable Robotics
  • Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
  • Duties included:
    • Research on supernumerary robotic limbs (SRLs)
    • Developed generative and optimization-based motion models
    • Led design and implementation of the 3HANDS dataset
    • Managed collaborative research projects in embodied interaction and wearable robotics
• Jul 2019 – Dec 2020: Research Assistant
  • Max Planck Institute for Informatics (MPII), Graphics Dept.
  • Duties included:
    • Developed digital fabrication pipeline for Moiré on curved surfaces
    • First-authored publication and contributed to U.S. patent
    • Worked on inverse geometry optimization and differentiable rendering
• Mar 2018 – Jun 2019: Research Assistant
  • Max Planck Institute for Informatics (MPII), Algorithms and Complexity Dept.
  • Duties included:
    • Implemented Mixer NCO in VHDL
    • Signal analysis and verification in C
    • Noise reduction optimization for embedded communication systems
• Dec 2017 – Feb 2018: Research Assistant
  • Korean Institute for Science and Technology (KIST Europe)
  • Duties included:
    • Developed MixExpo web tool
    • Interactive visualization and backend integration

Teaching

• Summer 2022: Teaching Assistant, Interactive Systems Course
  • Saarland University
  • Duties included:
    • Led discussion and lab sessions
    • Designed assignments and exams
    • Supervised student projects
    • Managed course webpage and documentation
• Summer 2023: Seminar Organizer, Wearable Robotics
  • Saarland University
  • Duties included:
    • Organized graduate-level seminar
    • Curated readings and led discussions
    • Supervised group research projects
• Summer 2023: Seminar Co-Organizer, Engineering of Interactive Systems with Generative AI
  • Saarland University
  • Duties included:
    • Co-designed seminar content
    • Mentored student teams
    • Created and graded assignments

Skills

• Embodied AI & Generative Modeling
  • CVAE, diffusion models, transformers
  • Human–robot handover synthesis
  • Intent prediction
  • Representation learning
• Robotics & Control
  • Kinematic and dynamic modeling
  • Trajectory optimization
  • Real-time control
  • Human-robot collaboration
• Simulation & Graphics
  • MuJoCo
  • Unity
  • Blender
  • Differentiable rendering
• Programming
  • Python
  • C/C++
  • C#
  • MATLAB
  • R
  • Verilog
  • VHDL
• ML Frameworks & Tooling
  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow
  • CUDA
  • Git

Publications

• Context-Aware Adaptive Handovers using foundation models (Under review)
• GestureCoach: Rehearsing for Engaging Talks with LLM Driven Gesture Recommendations (UIST 2025)
• 3HANDS Dataset: Learning from Humans for Generating Naturalistic Handovers with Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (CHI 2025)
• WRLKit: Computational Design of Personalized Wearable Robotic Limbs (UIST 2023)
• I Need a Third Arm! Eliciting Body-based Interactions with a Wearable Robotic Arm (CHI 2023)
• Fabrication of Moiré on Curved Surfaces (Optics Express, 2020)

Service and leadership

• Peer Reviewer, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (2025)
• Peer Reviewer, MobileHCI (2025)
• Peer Reviewer, Learning for Dynamics and Control (2025)
• Peer Reviewer, Augmented Humans Conference (2025)

Supervision

• Supervised Master’s theses in human–robot interaction, wearable robotics, and augmented reality, including:
  • Moaz Bin Younus — Neuroplastic Adaptation Through BCI Training with a Supernumerary Robotic Arm (Saarland University, 2025)
  • Alireza Parchami — In-car Augmented Reality (Saarland University, 2025)
• Supervised Bachelor’s theses in embodied AI and reinforcement learning, including:
  • Bilal Alshikh — Developmental Insights into Three-Handed Functionality using Reinforcement Learning (Saarland University, 2025)
• Mentored visiting research interns and supported their research integration, including:
  • Claire Chen — Visiting Intern from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Saarland University, 2024)
• Guided student research projects in human–robot interaction (HRI), wearable robotics, and embodied interaction, supporting:
  • project scoping and research question formulation
  • experimental design and user study planning
  • hardware integration and robotic prototyping
  • machine learning pipeline development
  • data analysis, evaluation, and scientific writing
• Supervised graduate seminar and course projects on wearable robotics and generative AI for interactive systems, mentoring student teams through ideation, implementation, and final presentation