Bianca Helena Ximenes

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About

Bianca Helena Ximenes is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on gesture-based control and the psychology of trust in extreme robotic interfaces. Her most influential work, "Using Gesture-Based Interfaces to Control Robots" (2015, 11 citations), explores intuitive, non-verbal methods for commanding robots, making technology more accessible and natural for human operators. Ximenes’s seminal paper, "Extreme human-robot interfaces: Increasing trust and assurance around robots" (2014, 10 citations), defines a critical new category of interaction: situations where robots physically intervene in the human body—such as tattooing, blood collection, and surgery. In this work, she investigates how to build user trust and assurance when a robot performs invasive, high-stakes tasks. By addressing the psychological barriers to accepting robotic intervention, Ximenes has laid foundational groundwork for the safe and ethical deployment of medical and assistive robots. Her research is vital for students and engineers designing interfaces that must balance technical precision with human comfort, ensuring that as robots become more physically intimate with us, they remain trusted partners rather than sources of anxiety.