Papers
8
Total Citations
126
H-Index
5
About
Laura Stegner is a human-robot interaction researcher whose work sits at the intersection of assistive robotics, end-user programming, and inclusive design. Her research focuses on making robots more accessible and meaningful for vulnerable populations—particularly older adults—while empowering everyday users to shape robotic behavior without specialized technical expertise. Stegner's most influential contribution, "Situated Participatory Design" (2023, 50 citations), introduced a novel methodology for co-designing robotic interactions directly within senior living environments, addressing the unique practical and ethical challenges of working with older adult communities. Complementing this, her 2022 work on caregiving robotics (30 citations) examined how robots can be meaningfully integrated into care facilities to support overburdened caregivers. Beyond assistive contexts, Stegner has advanced the field of end-user development for robotics, exploring how non-programmers can swiftly script robot tasks through tools like Figaro, a tabletop authoring environment, and on-the-fly programming interfaces. Her 2024 research further investigates how users perceive and experience these novel programming paradigms. With over 120 total citations across her published work, Stegner's research consistently bridges technical innovation with human-centered values, making her an emerging voice in designing robots that are genuinely usable, inclusive, and socially responsive.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2
- 3Sketching Robot Programs On the Fly19 citations · 2023
- 4Figaro: A Tabletop Authoring Environment for Human-Robot Interaction11 citations · 2021
- 5
- 6Understanding On-the-Fly End-User Robot Programming3 citations · 2024
- 7Considerations for End-User Development in the Caregiving Domain2 citations · 2024
- 8End-User Development for Human-Robot Interaction2 citations · 2024