Laurel D. Riek

About

Laurel D. Riek is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), social robotics, and assistive technology, whose work has fundamentally shaped how we understand the emotional and ethical dimensions of living and working alongside robots. Her early landmark studies on anthropomorphism and empathy — garnering over 300 citations — revealed how the degree of human-likeness in robots profoundly influences people's emotional responses, providing foundational insights that continue to guide robot design. Riek has also advanced our understanding of nonverbal communication in HRI, demonstrating how real-time gesture mimicry and cooperative signaling can build genuine rapport between humans and machines. Beyond the lab, Riek has championed socially responsible robotics, authoring an influential code of ethics for HRI practitioners and advocating for human-centered approaches in workplace automation and caregiving contexts. Her compassionate work on assistive robots — addressing aging, dementia caregiving, and mental health care — reflects a consistent commitment to centering vulnerable populations in technology design. With over 1,100 citations across her most-cited works alone, Riek's scholarship stands as both scientifically rigorous and deeply humanistic, making her an essential voice for any student or researcher navigating the social future of robotics.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   How anthropomorphism affects empathy toward robots

   311 citations · 2009
2. 2
   When my robot smiles at me: Enabling human-robot rapport via real-time head gesture mimicry

   179 citations · 2009
3. 3
   Consider the Human Work Experience When Integrating Robotics in the Workplace

   114 citations · 2019
4. 4
   Reframing Assistive Robots to Promote Successful Aging

   101 citations · 2018
5. 5
   Empathizing with robots: Fellow feeling along the anthropomorphic spectrum

   97 citations · 2009
6. 6
   Robots for Joy, Robots for Sorrow: Community Based Robot Design for Dementia Caregivers

   96 citations · 2019
7. 7
   A decomposition of UAV-related situation awareness

   95 citations · 2006
8. 8
   A Code of Ethics for the Human-Robot Interaction Profession

   94 citations · 2014
9. 9
   Cooperative gestures: effective signaling for humanoid robots

   70 citations · 2010
10. 10
    Robotics Technology in Mental Health Care

    68 citations · 2015

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links