Chapa Sirithunge

About

Chapa Sirithunge is a rising researcher at the forefront of human-robot interaction (HRI) and soft robotics, dedicated to making robots more intuitive, proactive, and perceptive. Her work centers on enabling robots to understand nonverbal human cues—such as body postures, gestures, and conversational preferences—so they can initiate interactions naturally and appropriately. A key contribution is her comprehensive review on proactive robots that perceive nonverbal behavior, which has garnered 41 citations and laid the groundwork for socially adept robotic companions. She has also developed practical assistive technologies, including a fall detection and emergency notification system for the elderly (20 citations), addressing critical needs in aging populations. In soft robotics, Sirithunge has pioneered touchless sensing and tactile perception methods, allowing soft robots to discriminate material compliance and stiffness through learned spatiotemporal pressure patterns—work that has attracted 14 and 11 citations, respectively. Her recent open parametric hand design explores embodied manipulation across morphologies, reflecting her innovative approach to merging social intelligence with physical dexterity. With a growing portfolio of over 120 citations, Sirithunge is shaping the future of robots that are not only smart but socially and physically attuned to human needs.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Proactive Robots With the Perception of Nonverbal Human Behavior: A Review

   41 citations · 2019
2. 2
   A Fall Detection and Emergency Notification System for Elderly

   20 citations · 2020
3. 3
   Soft touchless sensors and touchless sensing for soft robots

   14 citations · 2024
4. 4
   Soft robotic tactile perception of softer objects based on learning of spatiotemporal pressure patterns

   11 citations · 2023
5. 5
   Embodied manipulation with past and future morphologies through an open parametric hand design

   10 citations · 2025
6. 6
   An Evaluation of Human Conversational Preferences in Social Human-Robot Interaction

   10 citations · 2021
7. 7
   Situation Awareness for Proactive Robots in HRI

   5 citations · 2019
8. 8
   Recognition of arm and body postures as social cues for proactive HRI

   4 citations · 2021
9. 9
   A probabilistic evaluation of human activity space for proactive approach behavior of a social robot

   3 citations · 2020
10. 10
    Effect of Material Viscosity on Tactile Compliance Discrimination

    2 citations · 2024

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links