Ayanna M. Howard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
B.S. Engineering, Brown University, May 1993.
M.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, December 1994.
Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, May 1999.
M.B.A. (Masters of Business Administration, concentration in Strategy), Claremont Graduate University, May 2005.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California May 1993-June 2005
Senior Robotics Researcher – Mobility Systems Concept Development Section 9/02-6/05
Deputy Manager – Strategic University Research Partnership Office, Office of Chief Scientist 9/03-6/05
- Cognizant Engineer: research and design autonomy software based on human cognition for landing a robotic spacecraft safely on a remote surface, formation flying of multiple spacecrafts, and safe navigation of a planetary rover.
- Task Manager: responsible for state-of-the-art research development of an Artificial Intelligence toolkit for interactive learning.
- Deputy Manager: responsible for managing science and technology research liaisons that establish and strengthen strategic relationships with leading universities. Provided direct input to Chief Technologist on technical projects and resources.
Robotics Researcher – Telerobotics Research and Applications Group 2/99-9/02
- Task Manager: secured funding for and managed integrated hardware/software research development of a reconfigurable robotic system.
- Principal Investigator: developed intelligent software tool for terrain-based analysis of the Martian surface for spacecraft landing
- Cognizant Engineer: designed and developed a real-time control package for autonomous rover navigation on hazardous terrain.
Information Systems Engineer - Information Technologies Research Section 1/97-2/99
- Using clustering and neural network techniques, developed algorithms for identifying ground-based military targets embedded in spectral frequency data.
- Using neural networks, developed vision based recognition algorithms for real-time identification and tracking of airborne targets (ATR).
Computer Scientist - Advanced Technology Section 6/93-12/96
- Using UNIX Based OSF/Motif and the C programming language, created a GUI Toolkit for intelligent manipulation of military tactical groupings.
- Provided real time data analysis of intelligent neural systems for launch vehicle health monitoring through a computer graphics support unit.
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA July 2005-present
Associate Professor – School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Director: The Human-Automation Systems (HumAnS) Lab performs research and design of autonomy software based on human cognition. Specialty is in the study of human-inspired techniques, such as reasoning and learning, for the enhancement of space and field robotics. http://humanslab.ece.gatech.edu/
IV.A. Published Books and Parts of Books
1. E. Tunstel, H. Seraji, A. Howard, Chapter 11: “Soft Computing Approach to Safe Navigation of Autonomous Planetary Rovers,” Intelligent Control Systems Using Soft Computing Methodologies, Eds. Zilouchian and Jamshidi, CRC Press, 2001.
2. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, T. Huntsberger, A. Trebi-Ollenu, J. Dolan, “Applied Soft Computing Strategies for Autonomous Field Robotics,” Autonomous Robotic Systems: Soft Computing and Hard Computing Methodologies and Applications, Eds. Zhou, Moravall, and Ruan, vol. 116, pgs. 75-102, Physica-Verlag, 2003.
3. A. Howard, E. Tunstel, “Using Geospatial Information for Autonomous Systems Control,” Frontiers of Geographic Information Technology, Eds. Rana and Sharma, Springer Science, Dec. 2005.
4. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, T. Huntsberger, ”Robotics Challenges for Space and Planetary Robot Systems," Intelligence for Space Robotics, Eds. Howard and Tunstel, TSI Press, 2006 (in-press).
5. A. Howard, "Applying Intelligence Techniques for Task Allocation in Human-Robot Mission Scenarios," Intelligence for Space Robotics, Eds. Howard and Tunstel, TSI Press, 2006 (in-press).
IV.B. Refereed Publications
IV.B.1. Referred Journal Publications
1. A. Howard, C. Padgett, “A generalized approach to real-time pattern recognition in sensed data,” Pattern Recognition, vol. 32:12, pgs. 2069-2071, Dec. 1999.
2. A. Howard, G. Bekey, “Intelligent Learning for Deformable Object Manipulation,” Autonomous Robots, 9 (1): pgs. 51-58, August 2000.
3. A. Howard, H. Seraji, “Vision-Based Terrain Characterization and Traversability Assessment,” Journal of Robotic Systems, 18(10), pgs. 577-587, 2001.
4. A. Howard, H. Seraji, “An Intelligent Terrain-Based Navigation System for Planetary Rovers,” IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, vol. 8, no. 4, pgs. 9-17, December 2001.
5. H. Seraji and A. Howard, “Behavior-Based Navigation on Challenging Terrain: A Fuzzy Logic Approach," IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 18(3), pgs. 308-321, June 2002.
6. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, H. Seraji, “Rule-based reasoning and neural network perception for safe off-road robot mobility”, Expert Systems, 19(4), pgs. 191-200, Sept. 2002.
7. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, “Approximate Reasoning for Safety and Survivability of Planetary Rovers,” Fuzzy Sets and Systems, vol. 134, no. 1, pgs. 27-46, Feb. 2003.
8. A. Howard, C. Padgett, "An Adaptive Learning Methodology for Intelligent Object Detection in Novel Imagery Data," NeuroComputing, vol. 51, pgs. 1-11, March 2003.
9. A. Howard, H. Seraji, “Multi-Sensor Terrain Classification for Safe Spacecraft Landing,” IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 40, Issue 4, pgs. 1122-1131, October 2004.
10. A. Howard, H. Seraji, B. Werger, "Global and Regional Path Planners for Integrated Planning and Navigation," Journal of Robotic Systems, vol. 22, no. 12, pgs. 767-778, December 2005.
11. A. Howard, “A Systematic Approach to Assess Performance of Human-Automation Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics--Part C (accepted).
12. Z. Dodds, L. Greenwald, A. Howard, S. Tejada, J. Weinberg, "Components, Curriculum, and Community: Robots and Robotics in Undergraduate AI Education," AI Magazine (accepted).
IV.B.2. Refereed Conference Publications
1. A.M. Howard, G.A. Bekey, “Recursive Learning for Deformable Object Manipulation,” 8th Int. Conf. Advanced Robotics, pgs. 939-943, Monterey, CA, July 1997.
2. A. Howard, C. Padgett, C. Liebe “A Multi-Stage Neural Network for Automatic Target Detection,” IEEE Int. Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), pgs. 231-236, Anchorage, Alaska, May 1998.
3. A. Howard, C. Padgett, K. Brown “Intelligent Target Detection in Hyperspectral Imagery,” 13th Applied Geologic Remote Sensing Conference, Vancouver, Canada, March 1999.
4. A. Howard, G. Bekey, “Intelligent Learning for Deformable Object Manipulation,” IEEE Intern. Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Robotics and Automation, pgs. 15-20, Monterey Bay, CA, Nov. 1999.
5. A. Howard, C. Padgett, K. Brown, “Real Time Intelligent Target Detection and Analysis with Machine Vision,” 3rd International Symposium on Intelligent Automation and Control, Maui, HI, June 2000.
6. A. Howard, G. Bekey, “A Learning Methodology for Robotic Manipulation of Deformable Objects,” 8th International Symposium on Robotics and Applications, Maui, HI, June 2000.
7. A. Howard, H. Seraji, “A Real-Time Autonomous Rover Navigation System,” World Automation Congress, Maui, HI, June 2000.
8. A. Howard, H. Seraji, “Real-Time Assessment of Terrain Traversability for Autonomous Rover Navigation,” IEEE/RSJ Intern. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2000), pgs. 58-63, Japan, Nov. 2000.
9. C. Padgett, A. Howard, S. Udomkesmalee, “Shape Based Object Recognition Using a Fast Analog Convolution Processor,” NASA/DoD Second Biomorphic Explorers Workshop, Pasadena, CA, Dec. 2000.
10. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, H. Seraji, “Fuzzy Rule-Based Reasoning for Rover Safety and Survivability,” IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pgs. 1413-1420, Seoul, Korea, May 2001.
11. H. Seraji, A. Howard, E. Tunstel, “Safe Navigation on Hazardous Terrain,” IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pgs. 3084-3091, Seoul, Korea, May 2001.
12. A. Howard, H. Seraji, E. Tunstel “A Rule-Based Fuzzy Traversability Index for Mobile Robot Navigation,” IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, vol. 1, pgs. 3067-3071, May 2001.
13. H. Seraji, A. Howard, E. Tunstel, “Terrain-Based Navigation of Planetary Rovers: A Fuzzy Logic Approach,” 6th Int. Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space, Montreal, Canada, June 2001.
14. A. Howard, E. Tunstel, D. Edwards, A. Carlson, “Enhancing Fuzzy Robot Navigation Systems by Mimicking Human Visual Perception of Natural Terrain Traversability,” Joint 9th IFSA World Congress and 20th NAFIPS International Conference, Vancouver, Canada, July 2001.
15. S. Mobasser, C.C. Liebe, A. Howard, “Application of Fuzzy Logic in Sunsensor Data Interpretation,” 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Technologies (InTech’2001), Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 2001.
16. S. Mobasser, C.C. Liebe, A. Howard, “Fuzzy Image Processing in Sun Sensor,” 10th IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems, pgs. 1337-1342, Melbourne, Australia, Dec. 2001.
17. C.C. Liebe, S. Mobasser, C.J. Wrigley, Y. Bae, A. Howard, J. Schroeder, “Micro Sun Sensor,” IEEE Aerospace Conference, vol. 5, pgs. 2263-2273, Big Sky, Montana, March 2002.
18. A. Howard, “A Novel Information Fusion Methodology for Intelligent Terrain Analysis," IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE), pgs. 1472-1475, Honolulu, HI, May 2002.
19. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, “Sensing and Perception Challenges in Planetary Surface Robotics,” IEEE Sensors 2002, vol. 2, pgs.1696-1701, Orlando, FL, June 2002.
20. A. Howard, H. Seraji, “A Rule-Based Fuzzy Safety Index for Landing Site Risk Assessment,” 9th International Symposium on Robotics and Applications, Orlando, FL, June 2002.
21. S. Mobasser, C.C. Liebe, A. Howard, “Fuzzy Image Processing in Sun Sensor,” International Fuzzy Systems Association World Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, June 2003.
22. A. Howard, G. Rodriguez, “Validating Mission Relevance of Autonomy Technologies through Increased Science Return,” Workshop on Machine Learning in Space Systems, 20th International Conference on Machine Learning, pgs. 31-35, Washington, D.C., August 2003.
23. A. Howard, H. Seraji, B. Werger, “A Global Path Planner using the Terrain Traversability Index,” Seventh International Conference on Automation Technology, Taiwan, September 2003.
24. A. Howard, B. Werger, H. Seraji, “Integrating Terrain Maps into a Reactive Navigation Strategy” IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pgs. 2012-2017, Taiwan, September 2003.
25. A. Howard, E. Graham, “Bridging the Gap between Space Robotics Research and Robotics Education,” AAAI Symp. on Accessible, Hands-on AI/Robotics Education, pgs. 126-128, San Jose, CA, March 2004.
26. A. Howard, et. al. “A Methodology to Determine Impact of Autonomy Technologies on Space Science Mission,” 10th International Symposium on Robotics and Applications, Seville, Spain, June 2004.
27. A. Howard, et. al, “A Reconfigurable Robotic Exploration Vehicle for Extreme Environments,” 10th International Symposium on Robotics and Applications, Seville, Spain, June 2004.
28. A. Howard, E. Tunstel, “A Self-Contained Traversability Sensor for Safe Mobile Robot Guidance in Unknown Terrain,” 9th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications, Sept. 2004.
29. A. M. Howard, “A Methodology to Assess Performance of Human-Robotic Systems in Achievement of Collective Tasks,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pgs. 377-382, Edmonton, Canada, August 2005.
30. E. Tunstel, A. Howard, M. Maimone, A. Trebi-Ollenu, “Mars Exploration Rover Baseline for Flight Rover Autonomy Technology Assessment,” 8th Int. Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space, Germany, Sept. 2005.
31. A. Howard, B. Werger, H. Seraji, "A human-robot mentor-protégé relationship to learn off-road navigation behavior," IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Hawaii, Oct. 2005.
32. A. Howard, W. Paul, "A 3D Virtual Environment for Exploratory Learning in Mobile Robot Control," IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Hawaii, Oct. 2005.
33. G. Thomas, A. Howard, A. Williams, A. Alston-Moore, "Multi-Robot Task Allocation in Lunar Mission Construction Scenarios," IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Hawaii, Oct. 2005.
III.B.3. Refereed Conference Posters
1. A. Howard, H. Seraji, B. Werger, “Fuzzy Terrain-Based Path Planning for Planetary Rovers," 9th International Symposium on Robotics and Applications, Honolulu, HI, May 2002.
2. E. Graham, A. Howard, “An Internship Model for Culturally Relevant Success for Native American High School Students,” American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, December 2004.
3. J. Walls, A. Howard, A. Homaifar, B. Kimiaghalam, “A Generalized Framework for Autonomous Formation Reconfiguration of Multiple Spacecrafts,” IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, March 2005.
4. A. Howard, E. Graham, “Crossing the technology gap between higher-learning and the classroom environment,” American Association for Higher Education National Conference, Atlanta, March 2005.
IV.D. Presentations
IV.D.1 Invited Keynote Addresses
1. Tinker AFB:“The Souls of Black Folk (100th Anniversary)”, Oklahoma, March 2003.
2. UC San Diego: “Preparing for the Excitement in Engineering,” California, Oct. 2004.
3. Lexmark Corp: “From the Spacecraft to the Desktop - Technological Advances in Everyday Life”, Kentucky, Sept. 2004.
IV.D.2. Conference Presentations with Proceedings (non-referred)
1. A.M. Howard, G.A. Bekey, “Prototype system for automated sorting and removal of bags of hazardous waste,” Intelligent Robots and Computer Vision XV: Algorithms, Techniques, Active Vision and Materials Handling, Proc. SPIE 2904, pgs. 271-277, Boston, MA, Nov. 1996.
IV.D.3. Conference Presentations without Proceedings
1. “NASA Mars Rover: Behind the Scenes @JPL,” National Society of Black Engineering National Conference, Dallas, TX, March 2004.
2. “Knowledge Transfer in the Classroom: Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Education…As Only NASA Can,” National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, April 2004
IV.D.4. Seminar Presentations
1. Tutorial: “Robotics in the 21st Century,” Society of Women Engineers Regional Conference, Santa Monica, CA, February 2000.
2. Tutorial: "Hybrid Systems: Effective ways to combine genetic algorithms, neural networks, and fuzzy systems for real-world applications,” World Automation Congress, Maui, HI, June 2000.
3. “Robotics and Artificial Intelligence”, Santa Monica City College, March/Sept. 2000.
4. “Robotics Research at JPL,” North Carolina A&T Computer Science Colloquium, Sept. 2001.
5. “Neural Networks, Robotics, Fuzzy Logic, Machine Vision, What’s It All About?” 2nd Annual Careers in Math, Science, and Technology Conference, CA, Jan 2003.
6. “Women Working on Mars,” Panelist, National Engineers Week WebCast, Pasadena, CA, Jan 2003.
7. “Doing Business with Private and Governmental Space Agencies,” California Space Authority, San Luis Obispo, CA, Feb. 2003.
8. “Robots in Space,” Astronomy Guest Lecture Series, Santa Monica College, CA, May 2003.
9. Workshop: “Going to Mars … JPL Style,” National Society of Black Engineers National Conference, Anaheim, CA, March 2003.
10. “Autonomous Systems for Space Exploration,” Astronomy Colloquium, California State University Los Angeles, CA, October 2003.
11. Workshop: “Space Explorers-Exploring the Universe,” Young African American Women’s Conf., Nov. 2003.
12. Invited:“Smart Robots for Space Exploration,” Pacific Science Center Space Lecture Series, Seattle, WA, Dec. 2003.
13. Invited: “Robots for Space Exploration,” Chabot Science Center Distinguished Lecture Series, Oakland, Feb. 2004.
14. “Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Control in Space,” von Karmen Lecture Series, Pasadena, April 2004.
15. “Human-Inspired Techniques for Exploring Space,” Mt. Wilson Observatory Lecture Series, CA. April 2004.
16. Invited: “Research in Behavior-Based Navigation Strategies for Planetary Robots,” Robotics, Controls, and Mechatronics Colloquium, University of Washington, May 2004.
17. “The Supersmart Robots are Coming,” Panelist, Technology Summit for Business Solutions, June 2004.
18. “Innovation and Transformation: Big New Ideas,” Panelist, ideaFestival, Lexington, KY, Sept. 2004.
19. “Artificial Intelligence for Space Robotics: How Smart is Smart?” University of Southern California, March 2004.
20. “Life after High School Panel,” Panelist, Governor’s Conference on Women and Familities, CA, Dec. 2004.
V.A. Professional Contributions
1. Associate Editor, Int. Journal of Intelligent Automation and Soft Computing, 2000-present
1. Reviewer, NASA NRA Cross Enterprise Technology Development Program (CETDP), 2000
2. NASA Faculty Awards for Research (FAR) Program, 2002
3. Reviewer, Louisiana Board of Regents R&D Grants Program, 2002, 2003
4. NSF Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science Advisory Panel, 2004
5. NASA SBIR Sub-topic Manager for Mars In-situ Robotics Technology, 2003 – 2005
V.A.3. Reviewing Papers for Journals:
1. Autonomous Robots, 5 papers, 2003-2005
2. Journal of Intelligent Automation and Soft Computing, 5 papers, 2002-2005
3. IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 2 papers, 2004-2005
4. IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, 1 paper, 2004
5. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 1 paper, 2004
6. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, 1 paper, 2005
7. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 1 paper, 2004
8. EURASIP Journal on Applied Signal Processing, 2 papers, 2003-2004
V.A.4. Reviewing Papers for Conferences:
1. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 10 papers, 2002-2005
2. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 8 papers, 2004-2005
3. International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), 6 papers, 2005
4. IEEE Int. Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 8 papers, 2005
1. Co-Organizer, AAAI Symposium on Accessible Hands-on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Education Workshop, 2004
2. Tutorial Chair, Program Committee Member, IEEE Int. Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 2005
3. Program Committee Member, International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), 2005
4. Program Committee Member, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots, 2005
5. Program Committee Member, FLAIRS'06 AI Education, 2006
6. Program Committee Member, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots, 2006
7. Poster Program Committee, IEEE Int. Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2006
8. International Program Committee Member, IEEE Int. Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 2006
9. Local Organization Co-Chair, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2008
1. IEEE Senior Member, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, 1999 - present
2. Member, American Association of Artificial Intelligence, 2002 - present
3. Senior Member, Society of Women Engineers, 2001 - present
4. Member, Georgia Electronic Design Center, 2005 - present
V.B. Campus Contributions
V.B.1. NASA JPL
1. Council Member, JPL Director’s Advisory Council for Women, 1999 – 2001
2. Technical Reviewer, JPL Director’s Research and Development Fund, 2003, 2004
3. Reviewer, NASA Small Business Innovative Research Proposals, 2002 – 2004
4. Proposal Reviewer, NASA Graduate Student Research Program, 2004
5. Board Member, JPL Minority Education Initiatives Advisory Board, 2002 – 2005
6. Technical Recruiter, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1999 - 2005
7. JPL National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Convention Planning Team, 2003 – 2004
8. Speakers Bureau, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1998 – 2005
V.B.2. School of ECE, Georgia Institute of Technology
1. ECE Representative, Georgia Tech Engineering and Computing Career Conference, 2005
2. Georgia Tech Women of ECE (WECE) Talk on Graduate Schools, 2005
3. Member, ECE Undergraduate Committee, 2005
4. ECE Representative, Family Affair 2006
V.C. Other Contributions
1. Engineering Advisor, FIRST (2001-2002) - Nonprofit founded to inspire students through participation in annual robotics competitions.
2. Space Expert, Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Space Day 2002 - Program designed to encourage students through interaction with visiting space experts.
3. Computer Tutor, Restore, Inc. (1998-2002) - Provide computer training for a battered women shelter.
4. Founder, Pasadena Delta Academy (2001-2004) - Mentoring program for young teen girls focused on math, science, and technology education.
5. Co-Founder, JUMP (JPL Undergraduate Mentoring Program for Women) (2001-2005) - Provides mentoring support to undergraduate engineering students.
6. Consulting: WonderPlanet, Inc., Los Angeles, CA - Developed GUI application for customization of operating environments, 1999.
7. Consulting: Bitstar International, Seattle, WA - Developed neural network software package for financial forecasting, 2001.
8. Consulting: Veritouch Ltd, New York - Developed information security system using biometrics for database mining. Patent Filed “Reprise Encryption System for Digital Data” in 2003.
9. ADVANCE Visiting Scholar, Electrical Engineering Department (Robotics, Automation, Control, and Mechatronics Group), University of Washington. Host: Dr. D. Denton/Dr. E. Riskin., May 2004.
1. JPL Technology and Applications Program (TAP) Honor Award, 2000
2. Lew Allen Award of Excellence for significant technical contributions, 2001
3. NASA Honor Award for Safe Robotic Navigation Task, 2002
4. San Francisco Airport Museum Honoree, African-American technology trailblazers in Calif., 2002
5. Best Paper Award, 9th International Symposium on Robotics and Applications, 2002
6. NASA Space Act Award for Path Planning Graphical User Interface, 2003
7. MIT Technology Review Top 100 Young Innovators of the Year, 2003
8. Engineer of the Year Award, Los Angeles Council of Engineers and Scientists, 2004
9. Allstate Insurance Distinguished Honoree for achievement in science, 2004
10. Selected participant, NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering, 2004
11. NASA Space Act Award for Fuzzy Logic Engine for Space Applications, 2004
12. Selected presenter, National Academy of Science Frontiers of Science Symposium, 2005
13. California Women in Business Award for Science and Technology, 2005
14. IEEE Early Career Award in Robotics and Automation, 2005