Kevin Karol

HRI Software Engineer with consumer robotics, autonomous vehicles, and leading creative teams. ex-Google Brain, ex-Zoox (Acquired by Amazon)

San Francisco Bay Area

About

Robotic systems require custom, interactive, iteration focused tools for user experience design, user testing and interaction development. Combining experience with small robots (Anki's Cozmo and Vector), big robots (Zoox's autonomous vehicles) and a deep background in both computer science and theatrical direction, my work is focused on improving HCI in production environments.

Experience

  • Software Engineer, Robot Behaviors at Sunday
    May 2026 - Present · 3 mos

    Building the next generation of home robots.

  • Owner at Crossed Wires Studio L.L.C.
    Feb 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    Crossed Wires Studio is a Somerville-based theater company focused on new works that defy theatrical conventions.

  • Applied Scientist at RAI Institute
    Jun 2023 - Apr 2026 · 2 yrs 11 mos

    Solving the most important and fundamental challenges in AI and Robotics to enable future generations of intelligent machines that will help us all live better lives.

  • Software Engineer (Human Robot Interaction) at Google
    Sep 2022 - Mar 2023 · 7 mos

    Developing novel approaches to Human Robot Interaction as a software engineer on a cross functional research team including exploring the intersection of Large Language Models and Robotics.

  • Zoox (4 yrs 1 mo)
    • Creative Technologist: Experience Prototyping
      Oct 2019 - Aug 2022 · 2 yrs 11 mos

      - Established and lead new experience prototyping capability and worked with executive leadership to refine Zoox’s research/design for rider and pedestrian interactions - Served as a bridge between software, firmware, vehicle engineering, QA, homologation, and design to enable iterative design on highly technical systems - Designed and delivered user research prototypes of multi-modal interactions working with cross-functional team - Gathered requirements, organized tests, and presented to cross-functional stakeholders to enable public road testing of new pedestrian interactions

    • Software Engineer
      Aug 2018 - Oct 2019 · 1 yr 3 mos