Carla Jakobowsky

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About

Carla Jakobowsky is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on the social dynamics of autonomous delivery robots in public spaces. Her work critically examines how pedestrians—whom she terms "incidentally co-present persons" (InCoPs)—encounter and navigate shared spaces with these robots. In her highly cited 2021 paper (60 citations), Jakobowsky argues that traditional technology acceptance models fail to account for the spontaneous, unplanned interactions that occur when humans and delivery robots meet on the street, offering both theoretical critique and empirical evidence. Her 2023 study on gaze cues (6 citations) further explores how robots can use human-like signaling to navigate pedestrian ways safely and socially. By bridging robotics, psychology, and urban studies, Jakobowsky’s contributions are shaping the design of socially adept autonomous systems. Her work is particularly notable for centering the overlooked perspective of incidental bystanders, rather than just users, making her a key voice in the ethical and practical deployment of urban robotics.