Dr Patrick Holthaus (University of Hertfordshire) 

Principal Investigator

Patrick’s research revolves around social robotics and focuses on nonverbal interactive signals, social credibility and trust in assistive and companion robots. Patrick has extensive expertise in social human-robot interaction and experimentation and is highly skilled with a large array of robotic and sensing technologies. As manager of the Robot House, a unique facility for human-robot interaction, he brings together real-world applications and fundamental robotics research. His research involving the Kaspar robot has a direct impact on the lives and learning of children with autism and learning difficulties. 

Keywords: social companions, assistive technology, nonverbal interaction, trust and credibility 

Research Group: Robotics Research Group

Personal Website: https://patrick.holthaus.info/

Dr Daniel Hernández García (Herriot-Watt University) 

Co-Investigator

Daniel is a research fellow at Heriot-Watt University and the National Robotarium. His research lies at the intersection of HRI and AI, with a focus on developing socially aware intelligent autonomous systems that can work with and for humans, particularly in assistive, collaborative or education scenarios. He works on the application of data-driven and deep learning approaches for deploying autonomous systems applications in real scenarios with human users. 

Keywords: social robots; assistive technologies; education robots, human behaviour understanding; multimodal interaction; cognitive robotics; robot assistive therapy.  

Personal Website: https://dhgarcia.github.io/

Dr Patricia Shaw (Aberystwyth University) 

Co-Investigator

Patricia is a senior lecturer at Aberystwyth University, coordinating their smart home lab facility with research in technology for assisted independent living for older adults.  Her research interests are in ambient sensor based monitoring, longitudinal tracking of behaviour, robotic companions and robotic assistants.  She focuses on addressing real world issues through co-design with relevant stakeholders, and interdisciplinary research with strong collaborations in Psychology. 

Keywords: Assisted living; co-design; home lab; sensor based activity tracking; robot companions 

Dr Marta Romeo (Herriot-Watt University) 

Advisory Group Representative

Dr Marta Romeo is an Assistant Professor and Bicentennial Research Leader in Human-Robot Interaction at the Computer Science department in the School of MACS (Mathematical and Computer Sciences) at Heriot-Watt University. She is affiliated with the National Robotarium ans she co-leads the “Safe and Secure AI for Robotics Theme”. She earned her PhD from the University of Manchester on human-robot interaction and deep learning for companionship in elderly care, working on the H2020 Project MoveCare (Multiple-Actors Virtual Empathic Caregiver for the Elder). She then stayed at the University of Manchester as a postdoc working for the UKRI Node on Trust, investigating how trust in human-robot interactions is built, maintained and recovered when lost. Her research focuses on developing socially intelligent robots, able to adapt to their users with the aim to increase safety, acceptability and usability. She is interested in human-robot interaction, failures and repairs in interactions between humans and robots, and in the multidisciplinary work needed to discuss robotics as a socio-technical problem. She is currently the PI of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Spring Joint project “Are nurses ready for robots? Understanding the technological literacy needs of nursing students”. 

Keywords: human-robot interaction; human behaviour understanding; trust; explainable HRI, assistive technologies; multimodal interaction; affective computing. 

Dr Francesco Del Duchetto (University of Lincoln) 

Early Career Researcher Representative

Francesco is a Lecturer in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS) at the University of Lincoln. His research aims to endow robots with the ability to operate autonomously in everyday human environments and to interact with people in a socially appropriate and responsible fashion. He focuses on creating autonomous systems that are not only technologically capable but can also earn public trust to ensure a positive societal impact. To this end, he develops methodologies for robot learning from human feedback and for establishing frameworks for ethically-aware behaviour, with the goal of assuring long-term, trustworthy robot autonomy. His work has enabled the deployment of robotics applications 'in the wild,' including social robots in public museums and agricultural colaborative robots in strawberry polytunnels.

Keywords: Human-Robot Interaction, Long-Term Autonomy, Interactive Machine Learning, Ethical Robotics, Trustworthy AI 

Research Group: Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (LCAS)

Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo (Sheffield Hallam University) 

Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo is Professor of Machine Intelligence at Sheffield Hallam University, where he leads the AI, Robotics and Digital research theme at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. He founded and directs the Smart Interactive Technologies (SIT) Lab, focusing on advanced machine learning and human-robot interaction. His research specializes in cognitive robotics, computational intelligence, and their applications in healthcare and wellbeing, including autism therapy, elderly care, and cognitive assessment.
He earned his Laurea (MSc Eng) and PhD in Informatics Engineering from the University of Catania, Italy, in 2005 and 2009. Prof. Di Nuovo has led major EU and UK-funded projects (Horizon Europe, H2020, UKRI) in the area of Human-Robot Interaction.

Keywords: Machine & Computational Intelligence Methods; Multimodal interaction; Healthcare & Assistive Applications.

Research profile: https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/alessandro-di-nuovo

Personal website: LinkedIn

Dr Amir Aly (University of Plymouth) 

I am a Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the University of Plymouth, leading the AI and Robotics Research Group and serving as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence. I am also the UK–Ireland IEEE-RAS Chapter Vice-Chair. My research sits at the intersection of social robotics—adaptive behaviour generation, social navigation, and healthcare application—and cognitive and developmental robotics, focusing on nonverbal and multimodal interaction, language and action development, and decision-making under uncertainty.

Keywords: social robotics; adaptive behaviour; multimodal interaction; language and action learning; decision-making under uncertainty; healthcare and assistive applications; cognitive and developmental robotics.

Research group: Social AI and Robotics Laboratory (SoAIR)

Dr Ayse Kucukyilmaz (University of Nottingham) 

My research focus is in human-centered robotics, where I specialise in haptic shared and traded control for physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). My aim is to build adjustable autonomy paradigms to enable dynamic switching behaviours between different levels of robotic autonomy (e.g. full human control vs. full autonomy) during shared control of a physical task, enabling effective human-autonomy teaming. 

Keywords: Shared Control, Haptics, Physical Human-Robot Interaction, Telerobotics, Nuclear Robotics, Assistive Robotics, Creative Robotics 

Research group: Cyber-physical Health and Assistive Robotics Technologies (CHART)

Personal website: https://people.cs.nott.ac.uk/pszak1/

Dr Carl Strathearn (Edinburgh Napier University) 

Carl is a fulltime computer science lecturer at ENU with research focus in humanoid robotics, embodied systems and HRI. He is interested in building novel AI-driven social robots for HRI research, leveraging over 15 years' experience across industry and academia. As well as various expert advisor roles on humanoid / AI robots for the UK Government, International Corporations, The Global Climate Innovation Centre 'AI Ethics Think Tank' and recent keynote at the United Nations Global AI Summit. Notable projects include: Euclid the autonomous AI humanoid robot, Machine Learning for Robotic Lip Synchronisation (recognised in BBC Science's top 13 moments of 2021), The Multimodal Turing Test and Common-sense Enhanced Language and Vision for HRI (CiViL-HRI). 

Keywords: CAD/Simulation, 3D Printing / CNC, Embodied Systems (LLMs, VLMs, VLAs), AI / Data / Programming (Python, Java, C++)

Research Group: ENU-HRI

Personal website:  www.carlstrathearn.co.uk

Dr Daniele Magistro (University of Southampton) 

I specialise in ageing, cognition, and behaviour change, with a focus on how physical activity and digital health technologies can support healthy ageing and reduce the risk of frailty. My interdisciplinary research integrates sport science, wearable sensors, and socially assistive robotics to promote autonomy and wellbeing in older adults. 

Keywords: Healthy Ageing, Cognitive Resilience, Frailty Prevention, Physical Activity, Health Technology 

Dr Daniel Tozadore (University College London) 

Daniel Tozadore is a Lecturer in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at University College London (UCL), specializing in Human-Robot Interaction, adaptive systems, and educational technologies. His research focuses on designing intelligent systems that support learning, with particular interest in social robots, explainable AI, and user-centred design. Daniel has led and contributed to interdisciplinary projects that bridge robotics, education, and cognitive science. Notable recent works include R-CASTLE, a customizable adaptive architecture for social robots designed for classroom use; iReCheck, a robotic companion for handwriting activities; and the MI2US project, which investigates the role of social robots in supporting the inclusion of children from migration backgrounds. His work aims to create inclusive, impactful applications of AI that extend beyond the classroom into broader educational ecosystems. 

Keywords: Children-Robot Interaction; Educational HRI; HRI and stakeholders; User Modelling; Adaptive Methods; LLM for Inclusion. 

Research Group: Intelligent Robotics Group

Dr Esyin Chew (Cardiff Metropolitan University) 

Dr Esyin Chew is a Reader in Robotics and Educational Technologies at Cardiff Met University.  She is also the Director of the EUREKA Robotics Centre, one of the 11 specialist robotics centres in the UK, impacting underprivileged communities. She has led million-pound government or industrial-funded global projects, including the awards-winning PIE programme for Women in STEAM-H with ethical AI, Healthcare Robotics and the Alan Turing Public Engagement. Before joining Cardiff Metropolitan University, she worked as an academic in the School of IT at Monash University Malaysia, the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, University of Glamorgan (South Wales) and University of Malaya. 

Keywords: Humanoid Robotics; Healthcare Robotics as a Service; Social-Educational Robotics; Wales Tokku Zones; AIdagogy.

Research Group: EUREKA Robotics Centre

Personal website: https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/staff/esyin-chew

Dr Gabriella Lakatos (University of Hertfordshire) 

My expertise lies in the development of biologically inspired, socially acceptable and credible companion robot behaviour using ethological models, as well as in experimentally evaluating user acceptance in different use cases. My interests include social- and assistive HRI, being involved in projects assisting children with special needs, as well as the elderly. 

Keywords: Social and assistive robotics, Ethorobotics, Trust in HRI, User acceptance, Credible HRI

Research Group: Robotics Research Group

Dr Leonardo Guevara (University of Lincoln) 

Dr Leonardo Guevara is a senior lecturer in Agri-robotics at the University of Lincoln. His technical expertise is motion control/planning of mobile robots and robot perception for enhancing robot safety and unlocking trustworthy human-robot interaction. He participates actively in standards development as a member of the BSI committee AGE/6/4  crop robots in agriculture and horticulture. His research interests are robotics and AI applied to agri-food systems and the development of human-centered technologies for industrial applications. 

Keywords: agri-robotics | motion planning for mobile robots | robot perception | safety in collaborative/service robotics 

Research Group: Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (LCAS)

Dr Mary Ellen Foster (University of Glasgow) 

Mary Ellen Foster is a Senior Lecturer in Human–Robot Interaction at the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on designing social robots that communicate effectively with people in real-world public spaces, using a range of verbal and non-verbal communication channels, and on developing methods to ensure that the interactions are inclusive, ethical, and responsive to human needs.

Keywords: social robots, multimodal communication, stakeholder engagement, real-world deployment

Personal Website: LinkedIn

Personal Website: https://www.maryellenfoster.uk/

Dr Muneeb Ahmad (Swansea University) 

Muneeb Ahmad specialises in adaptive human-robot interaction, explores how robots can recognise and respond to human perceptions of trust and fairness during collaborative tasks, advancing real-time computational metrics that interpret human's trust and fairness expectations and enable adaptive, context-sensitive behaviour. His research combines reinforcement learning and cognitive modelling to develop socially intelligent robots that respond to human perceptions of fairness in real time, promoting equitable and trustworthy collaboration. 

Keywords: Human-Centred Robotics, Human-Robot Interaction, Fairness-Aware AI, Trust-Aware Systems Reinforcement Learning. 

Dr Maria Galvez Trigo (Cardiff University) 

I specialise in Human-Robot Interaction and applied AI in the health and social care domains, with a focus on rehabilitation, assistive, and educational robotics, exploring technology uptake (or lack thereof). My research is dedicated to making technology accessible and user-centred through co-design and participatory research approaches. I serve as Deputy Director for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in my School; I am on the management team of EMPOWER, a support network for women principal investigators at Cardiff; and I am a Co-Investigator and Executive Board member of the UK-RAS Network.

Keywords: Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Accessibility Research, Applied AI, Participatory Research, Rehabilitation & Assistive Robotics, Educational Robotics, Technology Uptake

Personal Website: https://marisegalveztrigo.com/

Dr Nicole Salomons (Imperial College London) 

I am an Assistant Professor at Imperial College London in the Department of Computing. My research focuses on developing robots that shape human interactions in complex and dynamic environments throughout day-to-day tasks. I do this by building robots that create user models and give personalized feedback for long-term skill acquisition. Additionally, I study different ways that robots can positively influence people. My main current research interests include social robots for dementia therapy, robotic tutoring systems, and robot personalization for in-the-wild deployments. 

Keywords: robotic tutoring; robots for groups; robot conformity; robotics for dementia therapy; robotic personalization. 

Shelly Bagchi (National Institute for Standards and Technology, USA) 

Shelly Bagchi is an Electrical Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.  Shelly is the Project Lead for the Performance of Emerging Technology for Robotics Project within the Measurement Science for Robotics and Automated Systems Program at NIST.  Her research interests are in human-robot interaction, replicability & reproducibility, and augmented reality.  Shelly chairs the IEEE Standards Group P3108, Recommended Practice for Human-Robot Interaction Design of Human Subject Studies, and is the secretary for IEEE P3107, Standard Terminology for Human-Robot Interaction.  She serves as a volunteer organizer for several events, including the International Symposium on Technological Advances in Human-Robot Interaction (tahri.org) and the annual ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (humanrobotinteraction.org). 

Keywords: metrics, test methods, standards, manufacturing, industrial robotics, interfaces, augmented reality, trust

Research Group: Measurement Science for Robotics and Autonomous Systems