Chien-Ming Huang   黃健鳴

John C. Malone Assistant Professor
Intuitive Computing Laboratory
HCI@Hopkins | Robotics@Hopkins | AI@Hopkins
Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare
Dept. of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University

chienming.huang @jhu.edu
410-516-4537 (unlikely to reach me)


I am recruiting students to join my research group.
I will be on parental leave during spring 2025.

In an effort to maintain a sustainable and fulfilling academic career, I prioritize student mentoring, teaching, and scientific inquiry when time conflicts occur.
Prospective students interested in joining my group please read the notes at the end of this page.

About

Curriculum Vitae | Google Scholar | ORCiD
My scientific work contributes to the fields of human-robot interaction (HRI), human-computer interaction (HCI), and robotics. The research directions I am currently pursuing include:

• Making robotic technology more accessible to people with diverse backgrounds.
• Improving the quality of life for older adults using technology.
• Designing effective interaction strategies for AI systems to assist people.

My research has been supported by NSF, NIH, Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy (IAA), Applied Physics Laboratory, and Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare.

Advisees

2020–nowAmama Mahmood (CS PhD) | CS Department fellow
2021–nowKaitlynn Pineda (CS PhD) | CS Department fellow
2021–nowVictor Antony (CS PhD)
2022–nowShiye Cao (CS PhD) | 2022 CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Finalist | Co-advised by Anqi Liu
2023–nowTsung-Chi Lin (Postdoc) | John C. Malone Postdoctoral Fellow
2025–nowJie Gao (Postdoc) | John C. Malone Postdoctoral Fellow | Co-advised by Ziang Xiao and Mark Dredze

2019–2024 Maia Stiber (CS PhD) | CS Department fellow | 2024 HRI Pioneer | Co-advised by Russ Taylor

Next: TBA

2018–2023 Gopika Ajaykumar (CS PhD) | NSF GRFP | JHU Engineering/Nursing fellow | 2023 HRI Pioneer

Next: Southwest Research Institute

Select publications

I mainly publish at HRI, HCI (CHI, CSCW, IUI), and Robotics (ICRA, IROS, RSS) venues.

Human-Robot Collaboration
HRI'25"See You Later, Alligator": Impacts of Robot Small Talk on Task, Rapport, and Interaction Dynamics in Human-Robot Collaboration
Preprint"You Might Like It": How People Respond to Small Talk During Human-Robot Collaboration | pdf
ACM THRIForging Productive Human-Robot Partnerships Through Task Training | pdf
HRI'23"What If It Is Wrong": Effects of Power Dynamics and Trust Repair Strategy on Trust and Compliance in HRI | pdf
HRI'23On Using Social Signals to Enable Flexible Error-Aware HRI | pdf
IROS'22Modeling Human Response to Robot Errors for Timely Error Detection | pdf
HRI'20See What I See: Enabling User-Centric Robotic Assistance Using First-Person Demonstrations | pdf
HRI'16Anticipatory Robot Control for Efficient Human-Robot Collaboration | pdf
Frontiers in PsychologyUsing Gaze Patterns to Predict Task Intent in Collaboration | pdf
RSS'15Adaptive Coordination Strategies for Human-Robot Handovers | pdf

End-User Robot Programming
HRI'24Alchemist: LLM-Aided End-User Development of Robot Applications | pdf
IJHCSOlder Adults' Expectations, Experiences, and Preferences in Programming Physical Robot Assistance | pdf
ACM Computing SurveyA Survey on End-User Robot Programming | pdf
Robotics and Autonomous SystemsDesigning User-Centric Programming Aids for Kinesthetic Teaching of Collaborative Robots | pdf
IUI'19PATI: A Projection-Based Augmented Table-Top Interface for Robot Programming | pdf

Social Robots
HRI'25Xpress: Generating Dynamic, Context-Aware Robot Facial Expressions Using Language Models
PreprintSocial Robots for Sleep Health: A Scoping Review | pdf
HRI'23Co-Designing with Older Adults, for Older Adults: Robots to Promote Physical Activity | pdf
Science RoboticsImproving Social Skills in Children with ASD Using a Long-Term, In-Home Social Robot | pdf
HRI'18Thinking Aloud with a Tutoring Robot to Enhance Learning | pdf
HRI'17Give Me a Break! Personalized Timing Strategies to Promote Learning in Robot-Child Tutoring | pdf
RSS'13Modeling and Evaluating Narrative Gestures for Humanlike Robots | pdf | Best paper award runner-up

Socially Aware Robot Navigation
IROS'22Learning a Group-Aware Policy for Robot Navigation | pdf
Frontiers in Robotics and AIEvaluation of Socially-Aware Robot Navigation | pdf | 2022 Outstanding Article, Editor's Picks
ICRA'20Intent-Aware Pedestrian Prediction for Adaptive Crowd Navigation | pdf

Human-AI Interaction
RadiologyCare to Explain? AI Explanation Types Differentially Impact Physician Diagnostic Performance and Trust in AI | pdf
ACM TiiSID.8: Co-Creating Visual Stories with Generative AI | pdf
CSCW'24Designing for Appropriate Reliance: The Roles of AI Uncertainty Presentation, Initial User Decision, and User Demographics in AI-Assisted Decision-Making | pdf
CSCW'23How Time Pressure from Different Phases of Decision-Making Influences Human-AI Collaboration | pdf
IJHCSMitigating Knowledge Imbalance in AI-Advised Decision-Making Through Collaborative User Involvement | pdf
CSCW'22Understanding User Reliance on AI in Assisted Decision-Making | pdf
CHI'22Owning Mistakes Sincerely: Strategies for Mitigating AI Errors | pdf
npj Digital MedicineExplainable Medical Imaging AI Needs Human-Centered Design: Guidelines and Evidence from a Systematic Review | pdf

Conversational Voice Assistants
IJHCSUser Interaction Patterns and Breakdowns in Conversing with LLM-Powered Voice Assistants | pdf
PreprintSituated Understanding of Older Adults' Interactions with Voice Assistants: A Month-long In-home Study | pdf
CSCW'24Gender Biases in Error Mitigation by Voice Assistants | pdf

Exploratory Projects
HRI'25The Design of On-Body Robots for Older Adults
IROS'24Reducing Performance Variability and Overcoming Limited Spatial Ability: Targeted Training for Remote Robot Teleoperation
PreprintAn Introduction to Causal Inference Methods for Observational Human-Robot Interaction Research | pdf
ISMAR'23Active Engagement with Virtual Reality Reduces Stress and Increases Positive Emotions
IUI'22Crowdsourcing Thumbnail Captions Using Time-Constrained Methods | pdf

Teaching

EN.601.490/690 Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction
Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018

EN.601.491/691 Human-Robot Interaction
Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018

Community services

2018–nowAssociate Editor for the ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction
2024, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018HRI Program Committee
2019CHI Program Committee (AC)
2024ICRA Associate Editor for Human-Robot Interaction
I'm also a frequent reviewer for HRI, ICRA, and CHI.

Updates

05.24 I am co-organizing the ERR@HRI 2024 ICMI Challenge on an HRI'24 workshop on "Multimodal Detection of Errors and Failures in Human-Robot Interactions"
11.23 I am co-organizing an HRI'24 workshop on "Social Signal Modeling in Human-Robot Interaction"
11.23 Research award – New NIH P30 project in collaboration with Hao Su and Junxin Li to investigate "Improving Mobility for Dementia Alleviation in Older Adults via AI-Powered Affordable Exosuits"
12.22 I am co-organizing a AAAI spring symposium on "HRI in Academia and Industry: Bridging the Gap"
06.22Research award – New NSF project in collaboration with Greg Hager to investigate "Modeling Ad Hoc Collaboration on Complex Manipulation Tasks for Human-Robot Teams"
02.22Research award – I received an NSF CAREER award to investigate end-user robot programming systems for everyday people, especially older adults who want to live independently at home.
10.21Research award – New NIH project in collaboration with Shameema Sikder (PI), Swaroop Vedula, and Greg Hager to investigate "Artificial Intelligence Driven Tools for Objective Surgical Performance Improvement"
05.20Humbled to receive Professor Joel Dean Excellence in Teaching Award
02.20Research award – New project in collaboration with I-Jeng Wang and Kapil Katyal to investigate "Human-Centered Assured Autonomy" supported by the JHU Institute for Assured Autonomy
02.19Rsearch award – New project to investigate "Human-Robot Co-Navigation" supported by APL
12.18Joined the editorial board for the ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction
10.18Honored to be named the John C. Malone Assistant Professor
09.18Research award – New NSF project in collaboration with Suchi Saria (PI) to investigate "Human-Machine Cognitive Teaming for Medical Decision Making"
08.17Joined CS@Johns Hopkins University

Working with me

Postdoc I encourage prospective postdoctoral researchers to apply for fellowships offered by Johns Hopkins Data Science and AI Institute and Johns Hopkins Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. I would be happy to discuss potential project fits and ways we could collaborate. Please send me your CV and a brief description of your interest in joining my group.

PhD I am always looking for highly motivated students interested in human-computer interaction and/or robotics. However, I do not reply to any inquiries and/or comment on applicaiton materials. If you are interested in working with me, you need to apply to our CS graduate program directly.

MSE and Undergraduates I am always willing to mentor and involve highly motivated MSE and undergraduate students in research. Research projects in my group typically involve substantial software engineering. Prospective students should have completed at least Intermediate Programming, Data Structures, or Algorithms for Sensor-Based Robotics before reaching out. Research is not a hobby; it requires a strong commitment. To make meaningful progress, you should be prepared to dedicate at least 10 hours per week to your research project. Teamwork is essential, as you will likely collaborate with one or two of my PhD or Master’s students on a project. If you believe you are ready for this commitment, please send me a note along with your resume and transcript for consideration.