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About

Chris Bevan is a researcher at the forefront of human-robot interaction (HRI) and telepresence, exploring how robots can mediate and enhance human social dynamics. His work centers on the intersection of robotics, psychology, and communication, with a particular focus on using robots as proxies for human interaction. Bevan’s most impactful contribution is his pioneering study on handshaking in tele-present robot negotiation (65 citations), which demonstrated that a simple physical gesture—shaking hands with a Nao humanoid robot—can significantly influence cooperation and outcomes in distributive bargaining. This work highlights how embodied cues can bridge the gap between remote humans, even through non-human agents. He has also innovatively used robot audiences to induce stress reactivity in humans (18 citations), adapting the Trier Social Stress Test to show that non-human observers can elicit genuine psychological responses. Additionally, Bevan developed a mobile spontaneous eye blink tracker for telepresence HRI (2 citations), a low-bandwidth social cue that conveys cognitive states in real time. His research is notable for its creative experimental designs and its implications for remote collaboration, therapy, and social robotics, making him a key voice in understanding how robots can serve as effective social intermediaries.