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Sharni is a PhD candidate in the Discipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra. Her primary research focus is on examining HRI, with a primary focus on the embodiment and physical design, interaction, contextual, and psychological variables that affect how humans represent and interact with the robotic systems they encounter. In addition to completing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Hons), she has HRI-specific research experience conducting both in-person laboratory and real-world evaluations of HRI in social and healthcare contexts.
This large sample study used exposure to a humanoid social robot to investigate the relationship between affinity with technology, social presence and future intention to use the robot.
In this paper, we survey the field of affective robotics, focusing on bodily expressed emotion—both recognising affect through human body movements and postures, and generating robotic movement that is perceived as emotional by human observers. We frame this examination through the lens of the performing arts, drawing on an art-inspired case study alongside foundational background material to explore the expressive potential of robots. This close engagement with the performing arts reveals the intense malleability and diversity of bodily expression, challenging some prevailing goals in the field—such as designing generally "happy" robotic movement—and highlighting the importance of context and interactional intent. We conclude by proposing future directions for bodily expressed affective robotics that integrate advances from both robotics and the performing arts
This paper provides a foundation for further study into social presence in HRI, by clarifying mechanisms of quantifying and experimentally manipulating social presence, allowing insight into ways in which this factor drives HRI.
This paper presents a new framework for understanding and designing social presence in human-robot interaction, based on empirical studies and theoretical analysis.
