Melissa Aninagyei-Bonsu

Year in School
Sophomore

Major
Computer Science

Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence Data and Information Systems Programming Languages, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering Systems and Networking

Research Mentor
Prof. Nancy M. Amato

Research/Engagement Experience
I have been working in Parasol Lab with Dr. Nancy Amato for the past year, including the summer. With this lab, I have worked on open-source projects for our C++ Library, such as creating tests for and modifying methods. For the majority of my time with the lab, I have been working on creating and testing multi agent motion-planning algorithms, which is where the paths of multiple robots are planned around each other. Currently, I am working on combining these algorithms with region decomposition methods and waypoint placements to make navigating an environment much more efficient.

Interests
My interests include AI, machine learning, and data science

Project Title
Interconnect Routing with Region Decomposition and Waypoint Coordination

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
vI became interested in Computer Science when I was in middle school, and I decided to code a website for my brother's birthday. Throughout the entire process, I realized that computer science was something I really wanted to explore and that intensified as I took more computer science classes in highschool.

What social interests matter to me?
Social interests that matter to me are facilitating the inclusion of women and underrepresented groups in spaces where they are the minority. As an African-American woman, I do not encounter much of my demographic in my major, so being a part of a program that inspires others like me to be more involved in Computer Science is very comforting!

What is my most impactful college experience?
My most impactful college experience would be joining clubs and meeting new people freshman year because I thought it would be difficult or unnerving to find friends, but everyone I met, whether it was in my lab or in a club, has been very inviting and friendly!

These are a few of my favorite things!
I love sushi and fried chicken! In my free time, I also love to run with the Illinois Track Club, go to the gym, or scroll on Tiktok!

Research Description
Parasol Lab conducts research for open sourcing software development for robot task and motion planning in our C++ library. Essentially, motion planning is the development of automated solutions for robots to freely avoid obstacles and navigate themselves in a workspace. Specifically, my research group concerns utilizing inverse kinematics in order to move a robot arm in a straight path in a real life environment. Inverse kinematics is the mathematical process of using kinematic equations to determine the necessary joint angles of a robot in order for its end effector (the end point of a robot) to reach a certain position. Initially, the Parasol lab did not have a definitive method for translating a robots arm in a straight path without any unnecessary rotation of the arm, but by utilizing the inverse kinematics library in the Parasol Planning Library, we are currently in the process of creating and refining the extender code for the robot arm. We hope to be able to simulate the robot arm moving in a straight line and eventually apply these methods into a real life environment.

Biography
I've bounced from state to state, but I grew up majorly in Huntley, Illinois with my 2 brothers. I used to have pet parakeets, and a pet fish! I have been running track for 9 years, but I have also dabbled in other sports like soccer, basketball, and tennis. I really enjoy working out, doing my hair and makeup, and spending a little too much time on social media!