Harin Hapuarachchi

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Harin Hapuarachchi investigates the frontiers of human-robot interaction and virtual reality, with a particular focus on how we perceive and share experiences with artificial agents. His work centers on two key areas: virtual co-embodiment—where users share control of a single avatar—and the emotional connections we form with non-human entities. In his most cited paper, “Knowing the intention behind limb movements of a partner increases embodiment towards the limb of joint avatar” (2022, 21 citations), Hapuarachchi demonstrated that understanding a partner’s intentions enhances the sense of ownership over a shared virtual limb, a finding with profound implications for collaborative tasks, skill training, and rehabilitation. His subsequent study, “Empathic embarrassment towards non-human agents in virtual environments” (2023, 4 citations), broke new ground by revealing that humans can feel empathic embarrassment even for robot avatars, challenging assumptions about the boundaries of social emotion. These contributions not only advance theoretical understanding of embodiment and empathy but also pave the way for more intuitive, emotionally resonant human-robot collaboration. Hapuarachchi’s work is essential reading for anyone interested in the psychology of shared virtual spaces and the future of assistive technology.