B. M. Hofstede

About

B. M. Hofstede is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, specializing in socially assistive robots (SARs) for older adults and ageing-in-place technologies. Their work focuses on designing robotic systems that support independent living, enhance social companionship, and address the critical gap between technological capability and user acceptance. Hofstede’s most cited study (2025, 9 citations) is a field investigation revealing that older adults desire more interactivity and personalization from SARs—a finding that challenges current design paradigms and underscores the need for user-centered development. They also led the development of the GUARDIAN ecosystem (2022, 4 citations), a cross-national, technology-enabled platform integrating SARs to assist both older adults and their carers in indoor environments. More recently, Hofstede explored the potential and challenges of huggable, integrated SARs for sustainable long-term care (2025, 2 citations), highlighting their dual role in daytime structure support and emotional companionship. By combining rigorous field studies with innovative system design, Hofstede’s research directly informs how robots can be made more engaging, personalized, and practically useful for aging populations—a contribution with growing relevance as care demands rise worldwide.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A field study to explore user experiences with socially assistive robots for older adults: emphasizing the need for more interactivity and personalisation

   9 citations · 2025
2. 2
   GUARDIAN: An assisted living social robotics eco-system

   4 citations · 2022
3. 3
   Huggable integrated socially assistive robots: exploring the potential and challenges for sustainable use in long-term care contexts

   2 citations · 2025

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links