Francesco Rea
Papers
104
Total Citations
1,315
H-Index
18
About
Francesco Rea is a robotics and human-robot interaction (HRI) researcher whose work bridges cognitive science, computer vision, and social robotics. His research explores how robots can perceive and respond to human social cues—including gaze, biological motion, and body language—to enable more natural and effective collaboration with people. His 2016 study demonstrating the superiority of eye tracking over head tracking for HRI (107 citations) has become a key reference in the field, while his investigations into trust and social engineering in robotics (82 citations) raise important questions about the ethical dimensions of human-robot relationships. Rea has made significant contributions to embodied cognition, including a widely cited revisitation of the body-schema concept (81 citations) that connects motor simulation theory to robotic systems. His technical work includes developing neuromorphic, event-driven vision systems for the humanoid robot iCub, bringing biologically inspired perception to real robotic platforms. Beyond perception, he has explored transparency in machine learning-driven robot behavior and how robots can time their actions during collaborative tasks. Notably, his research extends to understanding how children relate to robots, informing inclusive and age-appropriate robot design. With over 500 cumulative citations, Rea's interdisciplinary contributions position him as an influential voice shaping the future of intelligent, socially aware robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 4Staring us in the face? An embodied theory of innate face preference59 citations · 2014
- 5Embedded neuromorphic vision for humanoid robots45 citations · 2011
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- 7Event-driven visual attention for the humanoid robot iCub36 citations · 2013
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