Ruth Aylett BSc, MBCS, CEng

Ruth is Professor of Computer Sciences in the School of Maths and Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University. She researches Affective Systems, Social Agents in both graphical and robotic embodiments, and Human-Robot Interaction, as well as Interactive Narrative. She led three EU projects (VICTEC, eCIRCUS and eCUTE) in the period 2001-2012 applying empathiuc graphical characters to education against bullying (FearNot!) and in cultural sensitivy (ORIENT, Traveller, MIXER). She also worked as a PI in the projects LIREC (investigating long-lived robot companions) and EMOTE (an empathic robot tutor). She led the EPSRC-funded network of excellence in interactive narrative, RIDERS. She is currently PI of the project SoCoRo (Socially Competent Robots) which is investigating the use of a mobile robot to train high-functioning adults with an Autism Spectrum Disoprder in social interaction. She has authored more then 250 referred publications in conferences, journals and book chapters, and has been an invited speaker at various events, most recently AAMAS 2016.

After a first degree in mathematical economics at the London School of Economics Ruth entered computing with ICL as a graduate trainee in 1976. After three years of technical support she moved to Sheffield University where she worked in the micro-computing laboratory and developed an interest in Artificial Intelligence. During five years as a lecturer at the Sheffield Hallam University she developed these interests with particular reference to cognitive modelling, natural language and intelligent interfaces.

In 1989 she took up a post at the Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute in Edinburgh University where she specialised in knowledge acquisition and knowledge engineering methodologies, working in the South Bridge building destroyed by fire Dec 7th 2002. This was followed by two years as leader of the AI group at the National Advanced Robotics Research Centre on the University of Salford campus with special responsibility for task planning. The robotics work done there was continued by UK Robotics, more recently known as RTS Advanced Robotics

Moving to the then IT Institute in Salford University in 1992, she worked on co-operating robots with Dave Barnes, then at Salford and now at Aberwstwyth, linking a task planner to a behavioural robot architecture. In 1998 she moved to the newly set up Centre for Virtual Environments and located her research in the overlap between 3D interactive graphics and artificial intelligence, first as Senior Lecturer, and then, from 2000, as Professor of Intelligent Virtual Environments. She moved to Heriot-Watt University in 2004.

The more personal stuff is here.



Ruth Aylett,
School of Maths and Computer Science,
Montbatten Building,
Heriot-Watt University,
Edinburgh,
E14 4AS.

Tel +44 131 451 4189
Fax +44 131 451 3327

Last Update: 22 Oct 2004