Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

David Unbehaun is a human-computer interaction researcher whose work sits at the intersection of social robotics, assistive technology, and aging. His research focuses primarily on understanding how social robots can support older adults, people living with dementia, and their caregivers within real-world care environments. Rather than laboratory-based evaluations, Unbehaun consistently employs long-term ethnographic and participatory design methods, embedding himself in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities to capture nuanced, authentic human-robot dynamics. His most influential contribution, "Exploring Human-Robot Interaction with the Elderly" (2020, 162 citations), established his reputation as a leading voice in socially assistive robotics research through a rigorous 10-week care home case study. Subsequent work has extended this foundation, investigating robots like Pepper for cognitive and creative engagement, exploring dementia care specifically — including populations often overlooked by mainstream HCI research — and examining telepresence robots for remote healthcare delivery in underserved rural settings. Across his body of work, Unbehaun demonstrates a consistent commitment to marginalized and vulnerable user groups, advocating for inclusive, human-centered design in healthcare robotics. His research offers both theoretical grounding and practical design implications for practitioners working to integrate robotic systems meaningfully into eldercare and rehabilitation contexts.