I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Creative Technologies, Information Science, and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. I direct the Interactive Robotics and Novel Technologies Laboratory (IRON Lab), housed within the ATLAS Institute. I received my Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I was a member of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory. Prior to UW, I received degrees in both Computer Science and History from Boston College.
I work at the intersection of robotics and human-computer interaction (HCI) to investigate how novel technologies can mediate interactions between people and autonomous systems. My research draws on methods from human-robot interaction (HRI), cognitive science, and design to build new algorithms, interfaces, and interactive systems that empower users to accomplish their goals. Currently, I am particularly interested in:
- Developing robotic technologies that support space exploration
- Investigating the interplay between robotics and virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies
- Improving the utility and usability of aerial robots
- Enhancing human-robot coordination for collaborative manufacturing
In the past, my research has also focused on developing brain-computer interface technologies and adaptive educational robots.
I work on these problems with a fantastic set of students and collaborators who contribute a range of interdisciplinary perspectives and expertise. Close partners include Irene Rae, Terry Fong, Shaun Kane, Christoffer Heckman, Nisar Ahmed, Jack Burns, and Danielle Albers Szafir, with support provided by the NSF, NASA, Intel, and Lockheed Martin. I am always looking to develop new collaborations with academic, government, and industry partners.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to learn more about my work, discuss opportunities for collaboration, or support my research. If you are a prospective student looking to get involved in the IRON Lab, please read this page.
Daniel Szafir
Assistant Professor
ATLAS Institute & Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder
1125 18th St. 320 UCB,
Boulder, CO 80309-0320
Phone: +1 (303) 735-7892
E-mail: daniel.szafir{at}colorado.edu

Curriculum Vitae PDF (133K)
Updated: June 2018
News and Updates:
- 10/2017: Traveled to Nantes, France for ISMAR 2017 where my student Catherine Diaz presented our work on Designing for Depth Perceptions in Augmented Reality
- 10/2017: Submitted papers to HRI 2018!
- 09/2017: Submitted papers to ICRA 2018 and CHI 2018!
- 09/2017: Began a new semester! This fall I’m teaching ATLS 4519+5519 / CSCI 4830+7000 Introduction to Virtual Reality
- 08/2017: Gave a talk at NASA Ames on “Developing Principles for Effective Human Collaboration with Free-Flying Robots”
- 07/2017: Our paper Designing for Depth Perceptions in Augmented Reality (with my students Catherine Diaz and Michael Walker and collaborator Danielle Albers Szafir) was accepted to ISMAR 2017
- 07/2017: I co-organized a workshop at RSS on Bridging the Gap in Space Robotics
- 06/2017: Student Darren Guinness presented our research (with collaborator Shaun Kane) at DIS 2017 on GUI Robots: Using Off-the-Shelf Robots as Tangible Input and Output Devices for Unmodified GUI Applications
- 05/2017: I presented my research at the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) exhibition in Washington, DC. I met with NSF Director France Córdova as well as several staffers and members of Congress
- 05/2017: My research was highlighted in the CU Engineering Magazine
- 03/2017: I served as the Videos and Demonstrations Co-Chair for HRI 2017 along with Jun Kato
- 03/2017: My research (with Bilge Mutlu and Terrence Fong) on Designing Planning and Control Interfaces to Support User Collaboration with Flying Robots was published in IJRR
- 01/2017: I was named to the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 List in the Science category!