Sean O'Connor
Computer Science and Engineering student passionate about human-robot interaction and developing technologies that make robots better collaborators with humans.
Research Interests
I'm passionate about human-robot interaction and developing technologies that make robots better collaborators with humans. My work focuses on creating reproducible research methodologies, particularly through Wizard-of-Oz experiments, and building platforms that lower barriers for HRI researchers. I'm especially interested in how we can make robot behaviors more trustworthy and explainable, and how to design effective frameworks for studying human-robot collaboration across different contexts and applications.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
Expected May 2026
Research Experience
- Developing HRIStudio, a novel web-based platform addressing reproducibility challenges in Wizard-of-Oz HRI studies, with two first-author publications at IEEE RO-MAN 2024 and 2025
- Designed modular architecture enabling cross-platform robot control without specialized programming knowledge, lowering technical barriers for HRI researchers across disciplines
- Implemented comprehensive data logging and playback capabilities for experimental analysis, supporting rigorous scientific methodology in human-robot interaction studies
- Conducted literature review identifying key challenges in WoZ methodology reproducibility, informing platform design decisions and feature prioritization
- Developed automated data collection and analysis tools for environmental research, processing real-time sensor data streams for atmospheric and water quality monitoring
- Built custom Python pipelines integrating multiple data sources, enabling researchers to identify patterns in environmental data that informed conference presentations
- Bridged computer science expertise with domain-specific research needs, demonstrating ability to collaborate across disciplines
- Participate in weekly research seminars exploring human-robot trust, automation bias, and ethical implications of autonomous systems
- Contribute to discussions on experimental design for HRI studies, bringing technical perspective to psychological research questions
Professional Experience Highlights
- Architected and deployed production systems handling 250k+ monthly users and $100,000+ in payment processing
- Led digital transformation initiative, replacing legacy paper-based systems with modern web applications
- Implemented CI/CD pipelines, containerization, and infrastructure as code using Docker and GitHub Actions
- Modernized IT infrastructure from consumer to enterprise-grade systems, improving uptime to 99.9%
- Implemented comprehensive backup and disaster recovery protocols protecting critical business data
- Automated system administration tasks using PowerShell and Bash scripting
Teaching Experience
Mentor 150+ students in software engineering principles, design patterns, and collaborative development practices
Provided one-on-one tutoring across the entire computer science curriculum, from introductory programming to advanced algorithms
Guided 40+ engineering students through Arduino programming and breadboard circuit design
Instructed 100+ students in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing
Leadership & Activities
- Led 15-member interdisciplinary team in designing autonomous chemical-powered vehicles for national competition
- Introduced agile development methodologies and version control practices to hardware development process
- Co-established campus organization promoting coffee education and community building
- Manage $5,000+ annual budget, coordinate events, and maintain vendor relationships
Recent Awards & Recognition
Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025
2nd Place
Explore More
Explore my featured projects including HRIStudio, machine learning research, and web applications.
View ProjectsRead my peer-reviewed publications in human-robot interaction research.
View PublicationsView my complete academic and professional curriculum vitae.
View CV