Faculty Job Talk Seminar by Ms Samantha CHAN | Augmenting Human Memory via Cognition-Aware and AI-enabled Technologies

Memory is a cognitive ability used in our everyday lives. However, our memory capabilities eventually decline and the adaptive nature of these capabilities results in memory troubles. With the growth of the ageing population, new requirements and opportunities arise. In this talk, the speaker will introduce how we can augment memory in complex everyday situations through systems that are aware of our cognitive contexts and interfaces that integrate with our perception and behaviours. These systems sense cognitive contexts, such as cognitive load and visual recognition processes, using physiological signals (biosignals) and provide support by enhancing our memory through memory training and assisting with memory tasks. She will also describe their work to encourage user receptivity to these interventions, for example, using familiar AI-generated voices for reminders. This talk offers new perspectives and design insights on supporting our cognitive abilities and experiences.

About the Speaker

Samantha Chan is a PhD candidate in Human-Computer Interaction and Bioengineering at the Augmented Human Lab, University of Auckland. She creates and explores technologies that enhance human memory and cognition to make a positive impact on people’s lives and advance human potential. She was a Junior Researcher in the R4D team at Mercari Inc. She completed her Bachelors in Engineering at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). She was also an undergraduate researcher at SUTD-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) International Design Center in Robotics, Participatory Action Research and Personal Fabrication.

She is a tenure-track faculty candidate for Human-Machine Collaborative Systems, Human-Computer Interaction cluster.