Sonia Chacko, Ph.D.

Sonia Chacko is a dedicated roboticist with a deep passion for advancing applied robotics research. Before joining BGSU, she served as the Lead Roboticist at a construction robotics company specializing in robotic wall painting. There, she led a dynamic team of engineers in developing a revolutionary painting robot that increased productivity tenfold for large-scale commercial wall coating applications. Sonia has also worked as an Assistant Professor for undergraduate studies and gained experience in the embedded systems and semiconductor industries in India. Alongside her research and industry experience, she is committed to advancing K-12 STEM education. As a STEM Robotics professional development trainer on an NSF-funded project, she trained NYC public school teachers in creating robotics-integrated curricula.

Sonia's research focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AR/VR and AI to enhance human-robot interactions and improve environmental sensing. She has developed intuitive AR-based interactive solutions for a range of robotics applications, making significant contributions to the integration of AR in the field of robotics.

Education

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, New York University, 2020

• MTech in Mechatronics Engineering, NITK Surathkal, India, 2012

• BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India, 2007

Positions

• Assistant Professor, Robotics Engineering, BGSU (June 2024 to Present)

• Co-founder and CTO, PaintOz Robotics Inc. (May 2024 to Present)

• Co-founder and VP of Technology, PaintJet (February 2021 to April 2024)