Eric Peterson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture. He coordinates the second year of the BEnvD studio sequence and teaches courses in fabrication, materials, and construction methods. Twenty years of teaching in design studios, fabrication labs, and study abroad programs has informed his interest in pedagogy and curriculum development for alternative learning environments. With a lifetime of experience as a carpenter, builder, welder, and mechanic, he is an expert fabricator. He has developed and taught workshops and courses on 3D modeling, CNC programming, robotics, furniture design, fabrication, and prototyping. Dr. Peterson has participated in grant-funded fabrication and interdisciplinary research projects supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. His research on both robotic additive manufacturing and immersive learning environments has been presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed academic journals.
Areas of Interest:
Fabrication
Furniture Design
Design / Build
Study Abroad
Alternative Learning Environments
Professional Experience:
Teaching Professor and Robotics / Fabrication Labs Manager, Florida International University, 2005-2023
Carpenter, Construction Manager, Construction Supervisor, architectural designer, 1986-2005
Grants:
2023 NSF IUSE $400,000
Augmented Learning for Environmental Robotics Technologies (ALERT)
CoPI, Curriculum Development Team Leader, Grant-writing team member
Grant supporting development of an immersive learning platform for small robotics, environmental sensing, and data visualization.
2022 NSF RETTL $850,000
Intelligent Immersive Environments for Learning Robotics Operations (IIELRO)
Senior Personnel, Curriculum Development Team Leader, Grant-writing team member
Grant supporting development of an AI pedagogical agent to guide learners in a virtual reality robotics curriculum.
2020 NSF C-ACCEL $975,000
Preparing the Future Workforce of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction for Automation and Robotic Processes (ROBOTICS ACADEMY)
Senior Personnel, Curriculum Development Team Leader
Grant supporting development of an immersive learning environment for teaching industrial robotics.
Publications:
Peterson, E., Kaur, B. (2023). Printing Compound-Curved Sandwich Structures with Robotic Multi-Bias Additive Manufacturing. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Digital Futures Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication. Springer, Cham. Pending publication.
Bogosian, B., Vassigh, S., Peterson, E. (2023). Scenario-Driven Virtual Reality Environments for Learning Robotics. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Digital Futures Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication. Springer, Cham. Pending publication.
Peterson, E., Bogosian, B., Vassigh, S. (2022). Evaluating an Immersive Learning Environment for Robotics Training. In: Salman Nazir (eds) Training, Education, and Learning Sciences. AHFE (2022) International Conference. AHFE Open Access, vol 59. AHFE International, USA. http://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1002400
Peterson, E. (2022). Recent Innovations in Additive Manufacturing for Marine Vessels. Maritime Technology and Research. 4(4), 257491. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2022.257491
Peterson, E., Bogosian, B., Tubella, J., Vassigh, S. (2021). Teaching Robotics with Virtual Reality: Developing Curriculum for the 21st Century Workforce. In: Nazir, S., Ahram, T.Z., Karwowski, W. (eds) Advances in Human Factors in Training, Education, and Learning Sciences. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 269. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80000-0_2
Vassigh, S., Peterson, E., Bogosian, B., Tubella, J. (2021) The Robotics Academy: An Immersive Learning Game for Training Industrial Roboticists. Building Technology Educator’s Society: Vol. 2021, Article 4. https://doi.org/10.7275/yax0-5z24
Peterson, E. (2021). Technical Challenges to Adopting Large Scale Additive Manufacturing for the Production of Yacht Hulls. In: Karwowski, W., Ahram, T., Etinger, D., Tanković, N., Taiar, R. (eds) Human Systems Engineering and Design III. IHSED 2020. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1269. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58282-1_3
Musio-Sale, M., Nazzaro, P., Peterson, E. (2020). Visions, Concepts, and Applications in Additive Manufacturing for Yacht Design. In: Di Nicolantonio, M., Rossi, E., Alexander, T. (eds) Advances in Additive Manufacturing, Modeling Systems and 3D Prototyping. AHFE 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 975. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20216-3_37
Presentations:
CDRF 2023, Digital Futures, 2023
Printing Compound-Curved Sandwich Structures with Robotic Multi-Bias AM
Paper presentation for 2023 Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication.
AHFE 2022, New York, 2022
Evaluating an Immersive Learning Environment for Robotics Training
Paper presentation for 2022 International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics.
AHFE 2021, New York, 2021
Teaching Robotics with Virtual Reality
Paper presentation for 2021 International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics.
IHSED 2020, Juraj Dobrila University, 2020
Technical Challenges to Adopting Large-Scale AM for Marine Vessels
Paper presentation for 2020 International Conference of Human Systems Engineering and Design.
FIU | Bauhaus: A Collaboration, FIU MBUS Gallery, 2019
What is FIU+Bauhaus Workshop?
Lecture and panelist for 2019 Bauhaus Centennial.