Papers
12
Total Citations
110
H-Index
6
About
Emma Yann Zhang is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, intimacy, and affective computing, whose work has fundamentally challenged conventional boundaries between humans and machines. Best known for her development of the *Kissenger* — a device enabling the transmission of kisses over the internet — Zhang has built a distinctive research portfolio exploring how physical and emotional intimacy can be mediated through technology. Her seminal work on "Human–Robot Intimate Relationships" (2019, 29 citations) and "Forming Intimate Human-Robot Relationships Through A Kissing Machine" (2016, 23 citations) established her as a leading voice in the emerging field of *Lovotics*, the study of love and emotional bonds between humans and robots. Zhang's contributions extend across haptic communication, sex technology history, and remote emotional connection systems such as *Huggy Pajama*, a remote hug interface for family communication. Her modified Turing Test framework for evaluating robotic kissing devices demonstrates a rigorous, experimental approach to deeply humanistic questions. With over 100 cumulative citations, Zhang's scholarship invites researchers and students alike to seriously consider the psychological, social, and ethical dimensions of increasingly intimate human-machine relationships.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Human–Robot Intimate Relationships29 citations · 2019
- 2Forming Intimate Human-Robot Relationships Through A Kissing Machine23 citations · 2016
- 3Sex and a History of Sex Technologies12 citations · 2019
- 4Kissenger: Transmitting Kiss Through the Internet11 citations · 2019
- 5Lovotics9 citations · 2017
- 6
- 7An Overview of Love Between Humans and Artificial Partners5 citations · 2019
- 8Huggy Pajama: Remote Hug System for Family Communication4 citations · 2019
- 9Emotional Relationships with Robotic Companions4 citations · 2019
- 10