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About

Merijn Bruijnes is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-computer interaction, social robotics, and the psychology of eating. Their work centers on the concept of *artificial commensality*—using technology to replicate the social benefits of eating together for those who eat alone. Bruijnes introduced the idea of social robots as eating companions, showing that non-verbal cues from a simple toy robot can positively influence food choice, time spent eating, and enjoyment. Their foundational papers, such as "Room for one more?" and "Social robots as eating companions," each have garnered 22 citations, establishing a new subfield in HCI. Beyond commensality, Bruijnes developed the Artificial Social Agent Questionnaire (ASAQ), a validated, standardised instrument for measuring human interaction experiences with virtual agents, conversational agents, and social robots. With 13 citations, the ASAQ is becoming an essential tool for researchers seeking to replicate findings and validate claims across diverse settings. Bruijnes’s work is notable for its conceptual depth and practical impact, offering both theoretical frameworks and validated methods that empower the broader community to study and design more effective, socially-aware artificial companions.