Aitzol Astigarraga

About

Aitzol Astigarraga is a pioneering researcher in social robotics and human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on culturally embedded robotic behavior. His work bridges artificial intelligence, cognitive robotics, and Basque cultural heritage, most notably through the development of Bertsobot—the world’s first minstrel robot capable of composing and performing traditional Basque improvised poetry (bertsoak) in public. This groundbreaking project, which has garnered over 11 citations, explores how robots can engage in creative, culturally meaningful social interactions. Astigarraga’s highly cited work on Bayesian Networks for mobile robot behavior (52 citations) and his development of ROS-based teleoperation systems for the NAO robot (33 citations) have significantly advanced the field of autonomous and socially aware robotics. His research on robots on stage and body self-awareness for social robots further demonstrates his commitment to creating machines that can interact naturally and expressively with humans. Through his innovative integration of robotics, poetry, and performance, Astigarraga has opened new avenues for social robotics in entertainment and cultural preservation.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   On the use of Bayesian Networks to develop behaviours for mobile robots

   52 citations · 2006
2. 2
   Humanizing NAO robot teleoperation using ROS

   33 citations · 2014
3. 3
   Bertsobot: The first minstrel robot

   11 citations · 2013
4. 4
   Singing minstrel robots, a means for improving social behaviors

   10 citations · 2016
5. 5
   Robots on stage: A cognitive framework for socially interacting robots

   8 citations · 2018
6. 6
   Textual Coherence in a Verse-Maker Robot

   6 citations · 2014
7. 7
   Body Self-Awareness for Social Robots

   2 citations · 2017

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links