Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Mark Paterson is a scholar whose work sits at the intersection of sensory studies, human-robot interaction (HRI), and critical design theory, with a particular focus on touch, affectivity, and embodiment. His research has made significant contributions to understanding how tactile and haptic experiences shape social bonds between humans and robotic systems. Drawing on neuroscientific discoveries — such as the identification of C Tactile afferents, the so-called "affective touch" nerve fibers — Paterson has helped bridge biological science and socially engaged design, exploring how robots might be built to touch and be touched in more naturalistic, emotionally meaningful ways. A consistent thread throughout his work is a commitment to inclusive and equitable design. His investigations into disability, race, and intersectionality challenge the field to reckon with who robotic technologies are built for and why so many social robots default to whiteness in their aesthetic choices. With citations accumulating across venues ranging from HRI conferences to design journals — including 21 citations for his 2023 piece on affective touch and social robots — Paterson has established himself as a distinctive voice urging researchers to move beyond functional robotics toward systems that genuinely attend to human emotional, cultural, and bodily diversity.