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About

Christina Anne Basedow is a researcher at the forefront of human-robot interaction, specializing in the design of socially aware and empathic robotic tutors for educational contexts. Her work uniquely bridges robotics, psychology, and education, exploring how robots can form socio-emotional bonds with learners to enhance personalized instruction. A central contribution is her investigation into the nuanced dynamics of human-robot proximity, demonstrating in her most-cited work (58 citations) how a robot's posture—whether sitting or standing—significantly influences the interpersonal distance humans find comfortable. She has also conducted pivotal comparative studies (42 citations) showing that while humanoid tutors can effectively instruct children, their impact is shaped by subtle social cues. Driven by a multidisciplinary approach, Basedow has pioneered methods for endowing robots with empathic qualities, designing and piloting systems that detect and respond to learner engagement in real time. Her work on developing computational models for automatic engagement detection from sensory input lays critical groundwork for more responsive, adaptive robotic teaching assistants. Through her research, Basedow is helping to define the future of socially intelligent robots that can truly connect with and support human learners.