Aurelie Saulton

University of Tübingen, Max Planck Society

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Aurélie Saulton investigates the cognitive and motor processes that underpin human interaction, with a particular focus on how visual appearance shapes our motor control during social exchanges. Her research bridges social cognition and motor neuroscience, exploring how the perceived humanness of an interaction partner—whether human or artificial—influences the speed and planning of our movements. In her highly cited 2020 work, "Visual appearance modulates motor control in social interactions," Saulton demonstrates that the visual features of a partner directly affect motor behavior, a finding with profound implications for the design of adaptive technologies and human-robot interaction. Her earlier 2015 study, "Motor planning and control: Humans interact faster with a human than a robot avatar," provides foundational evidence that our motor system is finely tuned to the social nature of our counterpart, processing human-like agents more efficiently. Though her citation counts are currently modest, Saulton’s work is gaining traction as robotics and AI increasingly demand naturalistic interfaces. Her research is essential reading for students and scholars interested in the intersection of motor control, social perception, and human-robot collaboration.