Adam S. R. Parker

My name is Adam. I’m a postdoctoral fellow in the Interactive Robot Learning (IRL) Lab, supervised by Dr. Matthew E. Taylor. I completed my PhD in Rehabilitation Science in 2024, and my BSc in eletrical engineeing in 2017, both at the University of Alberta. My PhD was supervised by Dr. Patrick M. Pilarski in the Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control (BLINC) Lab.

Prior to my university time I completed the aircraft maintenance engineers technology program and SAIT, and the eletronics engineering technoogy program at NAIT.

Research Interests

I am interested in researching ways AI can help humans be better at the things humans want to do. Whether providing function for someone missing a limb, or improving someones capacity to accomplish work tasks. The ultimate aim is to create collaborations between humans and AI empowered devices more in line with people working together than someone using a tool.

I approach forming such collaborations by studying how AI can learn to communicate with people. As such I emlpoy mixed methods research techniques with a strong qualitative component in order to understand the how the AI systems choices are impacting the user and their relationship with the device.

I am also interested in applying my knowledge more strongly to music. This would be in the form of machine learning to provided systems that maximise creative freedom for musicians playing their instuments with robotic limbs, and ways of helping budding musicians improve with AI guidance.

Gallery

Photo credits: Chris Oncul (AMII), Alex Pugliese (University of Alberta, Folio)