The Engineer's Impact - Mehrdad Raji Kermani

Your inside look at faculty’s research and its effect on society

In this new Q&A series, we’ll feature Western Engineering faculty members to gain a succinct overview of their research, understand its impact on society, and discover intriguing little-known facts.

Meet Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Mehrdad Raji Kermani.  


Can you describe your research?

My research is in human-robot interaction—essentially developing intelligent robots and advanced machines that can integrate into human environments and work alongside humans in farms, factories, and even homes. The challenge is that robots are fundamentally different from humans in how they perform tasks, perceive their environments, and process information. Because of these differences, it is difficult to integrate them effectively. To address this, we have to move away from traditional design practices and rethink how we build and program these machines.

How does your research impact society in everyday life?

We need innovative solutions to tackle major global challenges such as population growth, demographic shifts, and climate change. Robots can be a key part of the answer. The machines we design help make everyday tasks easier. With the help of my talented students, we’ve built robots that can harvest crops on farms or process plants and seedlings in propagation facilities. These robots help address labor shortages, reduce costs, and increase efficiency and productivity. In factories, our technology makes production faster and more reliable, contributing to more sustainable and scalable operations.

What’s an interesting, little-known fact related to your research?

One of the most fascinating aspects of robotics research is how tasks that are simple and intuitive for humans can be incredibly difficult for robots. For example, grasping everyday objects is something humans do effortlessly, but for robots, it’s a major challenge. Teaching a robot to grab and use objects requires complex programming and precise engineering, highlighting just how different robotic and human capabilities are—even for the most basic tasks.