Adriana Hamacher

Papers

Total Citations

133

H-Index

About

Adriana Hamacher is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), trust, and affective communication in robotics. Her work explores how robots can build and maintain trust with human collaborators, particularly in the face of operational errors and unexpected behaviors — a critical challenge as robots become more embedded in everyday working environments. Hamacher's most influential contribution, "Believing in BERT" (2016), has garnered 133 citations and stands as a landmark study in expressive robotic communication. In it, she demonstrated that affective, expressive interaction strategies can meaningfully counteract the erosion of trust caused by robot errors in physical human-robot collaboration — a finding with profound implications for the design of socially intelligent robots. By comparing expressive versus purely functional robot behaviors, she revealed that how a robot communicates may matter as much as what it does. Her research speaks directly to students and designers working on collaborative robotics, service robots, and AI-driven systems, offering evidence-based guidance on making machines more transparent, relatable, and trustworthy. Hamacher's scholarship bridges psychology, design, and engineering, positioning her as a key voice in the growing conversation around socially responsible robotics.