Maria Christofi

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About

Maria Christofi is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI) and developmental robotics, with a focus on how young children engage with social robots. Her most-cited work, "Pre-schoolers’ Interest and Caring Behaviour Around a Humanoid Robot" (2015, 47 citations), is a foundational study that explores how pre-schoolers perceive and interact with humanoid robots, revealing that children as young as three exhibit spontaneous caregiving behaviors—such as offering comfort or sharing toys—toward robots. This research has significantly advanced our understanding of child-robot bonding and has implications for designing educational and therapeutic robots for early childhood development. Christofi’s contributions bridge developmental psychology and robotics, demonstrating that robots can serve as effective tools for fostering empathy and social skills in young learners. Her work has been influential in shaping how researchers approach robot design for vulnerable populations, and she continues to explore the ethical and practical dimensions of integrating robots into early education. With her interdisciplinary approach and impactful findings, Christofi remains a key voice in the growing field of child-robot interaction.