Director
Dr. Shane Saunderson
Assistant Professor, Information SystemsDr. Shane Saunderson is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems with the Degroote School of Business at McMaster University and the Director of the Research on Artificial Persons (RAP) Lab. He holds Associate Memberships at McMaster with the Department of Computing and Software, Biomedical Engineering, and the School of Computational Science and Engineering. Shane also lectures with the Schulich School of Business Executive Education Center at York University and advises several technology startups and non-profit organizations. Shane received a B.Eng. in mechanical engineering from McGill University, a MBA in technology and innovation from the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, and a PhD in robotics with a specialization in psychology from the University of Toronto. He is a former Vanier scholar and Junior Fellow with Massey College. Shane’s research focuses on the social and organizational implications of humanlike technologies, such as robotics and AI, with particular interest in topics such as trust, persuasion, and anthropomorphism.
Previously, Shane has spent time in industry running his own startups and consulting for Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft Canada, Ford, Lululemon, Samsung, Eli Lilly, and many more. He was the VP of Technology with Idea Couture, a strategy & innovation consultancy; chaired the Microsoft Canada Artificial Intelligence Partner Advisory Board (aiPAB); and co-founded Babbly, an AI-powered infant tech start-up. He founded and operates Artificial Futures, a digital strategy and user experience firm for the age of automation.
Human Persons
Raiyan Rubab
Master’s ResearcherRai is a recent graduate of the Integrated Science program at McMaster University. She currently works as a Research Assistant (III) in the RAP Lab, where she is involved in setting up the study and analyzing data for the Authority AI project. Her current research interests are interdisciplinary, focusing on the intersection of psychology, mental health, and technology. She brings additional research experience in health equity and community engagement, which continues to inform her passion for innovative and inclusive approaches to mental health and wellness. Outside of work, she keeps a full schedule balancing her love for cooking, playing cozy video games, reading, and attending EDM events with friends.
Nam Nguyen
Research AssistantBio coming soon
Narmeen Awan
Research AssistantNarmeen Awan is a third-year BHSc. student and a Research Assistant in the RAP Lab. She is currently supporting the “Leadership and Team Formation with Artificial Persons” project, having conducted a literature review on AI and robotic systems in leadership roles, team dynamics, and trust in human-AI collaboration. Narmeen is especially interested in how AI challenges traditional ideas of leadership and social connection, and how human-machine interactions might reshape the dynamics of influence and collaboration.
Tracy Gibbs
Research AssistantBio coming soon
Artificial Persons
Dudley
Telepresence RobotDudley is a Temi v3; a video-oriented, semi-autonomous telepresence robot that can navigate environments, recognize and follow users, and serve as a smart assistant and interactive companion.
Stimpy
Humanoid RobotStimpy is a blue NAO V5; a programmable humanoid robot by Aldebaran featuring 25 degrees of freedom, dual HD cameras, multiple sensors, and support for human-robot interaction and education research.
Ren
Humanoid RobotRen is a red NAO V5; a programmable humanoid robot by Aldebaran featuring 25 degrees of freedom, dual HD cameras, multiple sensors, and support for human-robot interaction and education research.