Hi, I'm Maike!
I help artificial agents and robots learn how to engage with humans!
With expertise in robotics, conversational AI, and user experience research, I design how people perceive and interact with intelligent systems. From building humanoid soccer robots to shaping Disney’s next level interactive experiences, my work bridges cutting-edge technology with real-world impact.
I care about creating AI that truly connects with people. You too?
Then let's get in touch!
Research Topics
Human-Robot Interaction ● Artificial Intelligence ● Dialogue Systems ●
User Experience Research ● Human-In-The-Loop Interaction Design
About me
I'm an Independent Research Consultant working with Start-Ups and established companies to help them integrate research-based insights into their AI and robotics development strategies. Until September of last year, I was an Associate Research Scientist at Disney Research Imagineering where I researched how humans interact with AI characters. I received my PhD from Uppsala University, Sweden, in Computer Science with a Specialization in Human-Computer Interaction in October 2020 and did a PostDoc at the colab Potsdam (University of Potsdam, Germany) before joining Disney.
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Years of research and teaching experience
Originally I studied Computer Science at the University of Hamburg, Germany, and focused on both humanoid robotics and conversational interaction. I wrote my Master thesis in cooperation with the University of Southern California on building an incremental dialogue system. Apart from Human-Robot Interaction, my heart belongs to the RoboCup community. Since 2011 I'm involved in the RoboCup Humanoid League, first as one of the founders of the team Hamburg Bit-Bots and since 2015, I'm actively engaged in the RoboCup Organization. Since 2023, I am serving on the board of Trustees of the RoboCup Federation.
News
Last year, I co-supervised Ronald Cumbal during his summer internship at Disney Research and now we have a paper accepted detailing the research he conducted then! The title is "Let me finish first – The effect of interruption-handling strategy on the perceived personality of a social agent". Ronald will present the work in the Dialogue session on Tuesday, September 17.
Paper accepted at IVA 2024
Invited Talk at URAI
I had the honor of giving an invited talk at the Upper Rhine AI Symposium 2024! My talk explored the question: "Generative AI for Human-Robot Dialogue – Problem Solved?"
It was fantastic to engage with so many researchers and industry professionals, and I received a lot of positive feedback for my talk.
Published: 15/11/2024
Published: 04/08/2024
Published: 10/03/2025
Invited Panel at German Robotics Conference
From March 12 to 16, the RoboCup GermanOpen will take place in Nuremberg – and I’m super excited to be part of it! As a member of the German RoboCup Committee, I’ll be helping to organize the Humanoid League. This year, we have an exciting addition: For the first time, we will host games in both KidSize and AdultSize!
Published: 15/03/2025
During the First German Robotics Conference, I had the privilege of speaking on a panel about Competitions & Challenges in robotics research.
Robotics competitions like RoboCup are deeply meaningful to me, not only because they drive innovation in AI and robotics but also because they inspire young students to pursue computer science and engineering.