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About

Cressel Anderson’s research lies at the intersection of human-robot interaction, assistive robotics, and mobile manipulation, with a focus on creating intuitive interfaces that empower individuals with severe motor impairments. Anderson is best known for developing El-E (“Ellie”), a prototype assistive robot that enables users to command a mobile manipulator simply by pointing and “clicking” a location in the real world using an unaltered green laser pointer. This novel point-and-click interface, detailed in the highly cited paper “A point-and-click interface for the real world” (127 citations), allows for unambiguous 3D location selection and behavior activation through virtual buttons overlaid on the physical environment. Anderson’s work directly addresses the needs of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as shown in user studies on object delivery and retrieval. With over 320 total citations across key publications, Anderson’s contributions have advanced the integration of laser pointers, touch screens, and RFID systems for accessible robot control. Notable achievements include the development of visual odometry for omnidirectional bases and behavior-based systems for autonomous object manipulation, making Anderson a pivotal figure in assistive mobile robotics.