About Me
My name is Ishita Sarraf. I am majoring in Computer Science with a concentration in Statistics at Grinnell College, IA. Originally from Kolkata, India, I am a rising senior and will graduate in May 2025. I am interested in conducting research in human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Looking at the intersection of technology with various different fields is captivating for me. I am conducting Human Robot Interaction research in the AABL Lab with Dr. Elaine Short at Tufts University for the Summer of 2024. I am interested in going to graduate school to further learn about the various ways to conduct Computer Science and make an impact on society using my research, specially how racial and gender biases are perpetuated in AI algorithms. Apart from computing, I am an avid reader, a mezzo-soprano, and an intermediate Spanish speaker.
About My Mentor
My mentor is Dr. Elaine Short from the School of Engineering at Tufts University. Dr. Elaine Short is an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering at Tufts University, where she is the PI of the AABL Lab. Her work lies at the intersection of assistive technology and social robotics (including socially assistive robotics), developing robots that can support people, especially children, older adults, and people with disabilities, in achieving their goals. A key focus of her work is understanding the user as embedded in a social and environmental context, designing new algorithms that allow robots learn from, interact with, and provide assistance to users in real-world environments such as schools, hospitals, and public spaces. You can find more about her research here.
About My Project
My project will involve research in Human Robot Interaction using ROS 1 and Python. I worked on improving robot learning algorithms based on the AMPS study. I implemented 2 algorithms - Best Action and Similarity that outperformed the AMPS study for a task that involved pushing a cup on a 7x7 grid from a start to end state.
My Blog
