EECAIA Lab

The Embodied Emotion, Cognition and (inter-)Action Lab is a "transnational" team of researchers working on many fascinating topics related to embodied emotion, cognition and (inter-)action. Some of them are based at CY Cergy Paris University in France, some at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK.

Current members:

Staff:

  • Prof. Lola Cañamero, ETIS Lab, CY Cergy Paris University, France, and School of Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K., team leader.
  • Dr Matthew Lewis, Research Fellow since 2011, School of Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Projects Embodied Computational Psychiatry, ROBIN and ALIZ-E.

Students:

  • Stavros Anagnou, PhD student, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Topic: Embodied Affective Cognition and the Dynamics of Affect-Based Relationships and Interactions.
  • Vincent Guitschula, Master student, CY Cergy Paris University, France.
  • Louis L'Haridon, Master student, CY Cergy Paris University, France.
  • Luke Hickton, PhD student, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Topic: Embodied Affect for Autonomous and Social Robots.
  • Nazeh Younsi, Master student, ISIR, Paris Sorbonne University, France (collaboration with Catherine Pelachaud and Laurence Chaby). Topic: Seeing and Being Seen: Modeling Social Attention in a Conversational Agent.

Alumni:

  • Julián Mauricio Angel, PhD student at the Politecnico di Milan, Italy, Erasmus student at EECAiA Lab for 6 months (November 2014 – May 2015). Principal supervisor: Prof. Andrea Bonarini.
  • Dr Orlando Avila-García, PhD student 2002–2005, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire. Dissertation: “Towards Emotional Modulation of Action Selection in Motivated Autonomous Robots” (2005).
  • Dr Arnaud Blanchard, PhD student 2004–2007, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Dissertation: “The Role of Affect in Imitation: An Epigenetic Robotics Approach” (2007).
  • Dr Aryel Beck: Research Fellow 2010–2013, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project ALIZ-E.
  • Dr Yossi Borenstein: Research Fellow, 2009, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project FEELIX GROWING.
  • Dr Ignasi Cos-Aguilera, PhD student 2002–2006, PhD student at IPAB, University of Edinburg, and Visiting Scientist at UH, Institute for Perception, Action and Behaviour, University of Edinburgh, U.K. Principal supervisor: Dr. Gillian Hayes. Dissertation: “Ecological Adaptation in the Context of an Actor-Critic Learning Algorithm” (2006).
  • Dr Luisa Damiano: Senior Research Fellow 2009–2011, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Projects FEELIX GROWING and ALIZ-E.
  • Dr Etienne De Sevin: Research Fellow 2007, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project HUMAINE.
  • Dr Matthew Egbert: Research Fellow 2013–2014, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project ALIZ-E.
  • Dr Richard French: Research Fellow 2004, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project HUMAINE.
  • Dr Antoine Hiolle, PhD student and Research Assistant 2007–2010, project FEELIX GROWING; Research Fellow 2010–2014, project ALIZ-E, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Dissertation: “A Developmental Approach to the Study of Affective Bonds for Human-Robot Interaction” (2015)
  • Imran Khan, PhD student 2015–2020, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Dissertation: "Modeling Affect-Based Relationships and Social Allostasis as Mechanisms for Adaptation in Social Groups" (2020).
  • Dr John Lones, PhD student 2012–2016, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Dissertation: “Hormonal Modulation of Developmental Plasticity in an Epigenetic Robot” (2016).
  • Dr Robert Lowe, PhD student 2003–2006, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire. Dissertation: “The Evolution of Affective Displays and Related Strategies” (2006).
  • Marcos Maroto Gomez, visiting researcher 2019 (PhD student at University Carlos III, Madrid).
  • Robert Marsh: Research Assistant 2005–2006, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project HUMAINE.
  • Dr John C. Murray: Research Fellow 2007–2009, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project FEELIX GROWING.
  • Dr Claire O’Bryne, PhD student 2007–2013, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Dissertation: “Emotions, Motivation-Based Action Selection and Dynamic Environments” (2013).
  • Dr Nicolas Oros, PhD student 2006–2010, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Dissertation: “An Artificial Life Perspective on Olfactory Systems: Evolving Neural Coding, Developmental Symmetry and Odour Recognition in Agents” (2010).
  • Dr Karla Parussel: Research Fellow 2007, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project HUMAINE.
  • Dr Peter-Paul Pichler, PhD student 2006–2009, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. Dissertation: “Natural Selection, Adaptive Evolution and Diversity in Computational Ecosystems” (2009).
  • Dr Ana Tanevska, visiting researcher 2019 (as a PhD student at IIT, Genoa). Dissertation: "Towards a Cognitive Architecture for Socially Adaptive Human-Robot Interaction" (2020).
  • Dr Zhanna Zatuchna: Research Fellow 2008, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project FEELIX GROWING.
  • Dr Junpei Zhong: Research Assistant 2013–2014, School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Project ALIZ-E.