Abir Bellarbi

Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene

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About

Abir Bellarbi is a researcher focused on the critical intersection of social robotics and human-robot interaction (HRI), with a particular emphasis on how robots can navigate and interact within human environments. Her work addresses the fundamental challenge of enabling service robots to move and behave in a socially acceptable manner, moving beyond purely functional navigation to incorporate human social norms. Her most cited paper, "A social planning and navigation for tour-guide robot in human environment" (2016, 10 citations), presents a foundational framework for integrating social constraints into a robot's path planning, directly tackling the complexities of operating alongside people. Bellarbi’s research is distinguished by her innovative approach to proxemics—the study of interpersonal distance. In her work "Dynamic proxemia modeling approach (DPMA) for navigation and interaction with a group of persons" (2020), she advanced the field by proposing a model that adapts a robot's spatial behavior not just to an individual, but dynamically to the type of social group (F-Formation) and communication context (e.g., speech vs. phone). This contribution is crucial for developing robots that can seamlessly and respectfully join or navigate around groups, marking a significant step toward truly collaborative and socially intelligent service robots.