Carla Carvalho

University of Coimbra

Papers

6

Total Citations

79

H-Index

4

About

Carla Carvalho is a leading researcher in human-robot collaboration, with a focus on designing safer, more intuitive collaborative robots (cobots) for Industry 4.0 and 5.0. Her work bridges engineering and psychology, exploring how user experience (UX) goals—such as trust, comfort, and performance—can shape cobot design. In her most-cited paper (2022, 49 citations), she outlines the use of virtual reality for safe testing and development in collaborative robotics, addressing critical safety and comfort challenges. Her systematic literature review (2022, 14 citations) further establishes UX goals as essential for designing better cobots. Notably, her 2023 study on robot eyes found that while eye gaze marginally increases user trust, it can actually lower performance—a counterintuitive insight that challenges assumptions about anthropomorphic design. Carvalho has also validated an acceptance scale for human-robot interaction in Portuguese (2025, 4 citations), enabling cross-cultural research. With a growing body of work that integrates empirical testing, VR simulation, and UX frameworks, Carvalho is shaping how we design cobots that are not only efficient but genuinely human-centered. Her research is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of collaborative robotics.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

4
H-Index
6
Papers
79
Total Citations
13
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
Virtual Reality for Safe Testing and Development in Collaborative Robotics: Challenges and Perspectives
49 citations · 2022
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2022 (2 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 20
🏛 Institutions: University of Coimbra

Top Papers

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
Content generated · 13 days ago