Alexander Peine

About

Alexander Peine is a leading figure in socio-gerontechnology, an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of ageing studies and science and technology studies (STS). His research critically examines how technologies—from robots to personal health systems—are designed, represented, and embedded in the lives of older adults. Peine’s major contributions include revealing how “user representations” of robots are socially constructed within design labs, as shown in his highly cited 2020 study (48 citations), and distinguishing between “habilitating” and “prosthetic” strategies in health technology valuation (2014, 45 citations). He co-edited the landmark volume *Socio-gerontechnology* (2021, 40 citations), which set the agenda for critical, interdisciplinary studies of ageing and technology. More recently, his work on embedding responsible innovation into robotics R&D (2024) and co-designing robots with older adults to address ageism and power gaps (2025) demonstrates a sustained commitment to inclusive, reflexive design. With a growing citation impact and a focus on challenging ageist assumptions in technology development, Peine is a pivotal voice in rethinking how we design for an ageing society.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Of robots and humans: Creating user representations in practice

   48 citations · 2020
2. 2
   Valuing health technology – habilitating and prosthetic strategies in personal health systems

   45 citations · 2014
3. 3
   Socio-gerontechnology : Interdisciplinary Critical Studies of Ageing and Technology

   40 citations · 2021
4. 4
   Embedding responsible innovation into R&D practices: A case study of socially assistive robot development

   5 citations · 2024
5. 5
   Ageism, Power, and Gaps: Co-Designing Robots with Older Adults

   3 citations · 2025

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links