Project Grant 2246446

This federal Project Grant award, valued at $243,640.00 and provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), supports research to develop new understanding and control strategies for how robots can influence human behavior over long-term interactions. The key focus is on addressing the challenge that as humans adapt to robots, the robots' ability to influence the humans may diminish over time. The research aims to create models of human cognition and decision-making that capture adaptation, and use this to develop robot control strategies that can maintain influence while ensuring safety and transparency. The award recipient, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), will also host demonstrations to inspire and train K-12 students for future engineering careers. The research is expected to improve societal well-being by enhancing understanding of long-term human-robot interaction, particularly in safety-critical settings.