PhD Candidate, Researcher, Roboticist
I am passionate about understanding and incorporating human perception and emotions into the design of technologies. I am interested in working with technologies to improve quality of life, human-robot trust, and mental health treatments.
My research interests include affective haptics, human-robot interaction, and people-centered design.
Projects
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Music-Based Haptic Affect
Evaluated whether the characteristics that make music emotionally evocative (including mode, tempo, and volume) would have the same emotional effect in the vibrotactile space.
Point of Subjective Equality of Intensity
Analyzed the correlation between the mechanical output of frequency-dependent vibrotactile actuators and the perceived equivalent amplitude for different frequencies.
Physiological Impact of Affective Haptics (WIP)
Created affective haptic cues based on social-touch and music affect literature. Experimented to determine if the type of affective haptic cue impacts a person’s ability to calm down.
About Me
Humble salutations! I am Daziyah Sullivan, an alumna of Florida A&M University. I am currently attending Rice University in pursuit of my doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering. My research areas include affective haptics, mental health, participatory design, and psychophysics. I enjoy exploring diverse opportunities for connection and mentorship, which is why I am currently serving as a Rice University Graduate Student Ambassador and spearheading the GEM@Rice Initiative.
Publications
Sullivan, Daziyah H., Elyse DZ Chase, and Marcia K. O’Malley. “Comparing the Perceived Intensity of Vibrotacitle Cues Scaled Based on Inherent Dynamic Range.” IEEE Transactions on Haptics (2024). (DOI: 10.1109/TOH.2024.3355203)
Sullivan, Daziyah. Exploration of Emotional Evocation Through Wearable Haptic Interfaces. MS Thesis. Rice University, 2022.
Experience
Rice University, Research Assistant in the Mechatronics and Haptic Interfaces (MAHI) Lab under the advisement of Dr. Marcia K. O’Malley.
Presentations
“Affective Haptic Cues Delivered via a Wearable Bracelet Evoke a Physiological Response,” ICRA 2024 Workshop on Applications and Future Directions of Affective Technologies, Yokohoma, Japan, May 13, 2024. (Poster Presentation)
“Comparing the Perceived Intensity of Vibrotactile Cues Scaled Based on Inherent Dynamic Range,” Haptics Symposium, Long Beach, CA, USA, April 9, 2024. (Oral Presentation)
“Exploration of Emotional Evocation Through Wearable Haptic Interfaces,” Texas Regional Robotics Symposium (TEROS) 2023, Houston, TX, April 14, 2023. (Poster Presentation)
Service
ICRA 2024 Workshop Organizer – afdat.blogs.rice.edu
Leadership
Black Graduate Student Association, Rice University
– Vice President (April 2021 – March 2022)
Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rice University
– Organizer, GEM@Rice (May 2023 – Present)
– Graduate Student Ambassador, Rice University (June 2021 – Present)
Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Association, Rice University
– President (April 2023 – April 2024)
– Vice President (April 2022 – March 2023)
FAMSTATE Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers
– President (April 2019 – March 2020)
– Academic Excellence Chair (April 2018 – March 2019)
Honors & Awards
Awards
– Nominated for Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering Workshop
– Nominated for Doctoral Research Excellence Award from Mechanical Engineering Department
– 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) GRFP Recipient
– 2020 Graduate Education for Minorities (GEM) Full Fellow
– Dean’s List at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Fall 2016 – Spring 2020
– 2019 Northrop Grumman Foundation Integrated Pipeline Program (NGF-IPP) Scholar
– 2018 Black Engineer of the Year Awards – Academic Award Winner
– 2017 Ford Blue Oval Scholarship
– Recognized as #2 African American Student in Duval County Public Schools by Gamma Beta Boule
Honor Society Memberships & Affiliations
– IEEE, Student Member
– Tau Beta Pi, Induction November 2019
– Golden Key Honor Society, Induction June 2018
– Phi Theta Kappa, Induction April 2015