Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
Contact Info
Email: pedrolopes@cs.uchicago.edu
Office: Crerar 365
Pedro Lopes is an Associate Professor in Computer Science at the University of Chicago. Pedro focuses on integrating interfaces with the human body—exploring the interface paradigm that supersedes wearables. These include: muscle stimulation wearables that allow users to manipulate tools they have never seen before or that accelerate reaction time, or a device that leverages the smell to create an illusion of temperature.
Pedro’s work has received several academic awards, such as six CHI/UIST Best Papers, Sloan Fellowship and NSF CAREER, and captured the interest of the public (e.g., New York Times, exhibited at Ars Electronica, etc.; more: https://lab.plopes.org).
Research
Focus Areas: Human Computer Interaction, Virtual + Augmented Reality, Wearable Computing
My labs have been exploring how body-device integration allows us to engineer interactive devices that intentionally borrow parts of the body for input and output, rather than adding more technology to the body. You can see our work at lab.plopes.org.
Courses taught by Pedro:
Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (CMSC 20300, where you build software interfaces)
Inventing and Engineering Interactive Devices (CMSC 23220, where you build hands-on hardware)
See detailed course descriptions and which courses are currently active here.
Research
Human-Computer Interaction
Exploring the interfaces between people and technologies
Labs & Groups
Human-Computer Integration Lab
Pedro Lopez
Engineering interactive devices that integrate directly with the user’s body as the natural succession to wearable interfaces.
CERES Center for Unstoppable Computing
Andrew A. Chien
A dynamic community focused on reducing the fragility and complexity of computing systems, while also increasing their efficiency and lifetime.
Systems Group
A vibrant, collaborative research community with diverse, synergistic research interests spanning systems, programming languages and software engineering, software and hardware...
