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About

Tessa Lau is a robotics researcher whose work spans service robotics, human-robot interaction, and the practical deployment of autonomous systems in real-world environments. She is perhaps best known for her contributions to rapid robot programming, most notably the CustomPrograms system, which enables roboticists to swiftly develop new behaviors for mobile service robots and accelerate commercialization — a paper that has garnered 41 citations since its 2016 publication. Much of her research has focused on making robots genuinely useful for vulnerable populations, particularly older adults in assisted-living settings. Through qualitative studies, stakeholder consultations, and field deployments in supportive apartment facilities, she has helped shape the design requirements for affordable elder care robots, with related papers earning 35 and 30 citations respectively. Lau has also extended her expertise into the construction industry, evaluating how robots compare to traditional methods for drilling, drywall, and layout tasks — work that has drawn 23 citations and growing industry interest. Her research on natural language instruction interpretation further demonstrates a commitment to intuitive human-robot communication. Across disciplines, Lau's work is defined by a drive to bridge theoretical robotics and tangible, human-centered applications.