Claire Huijnen
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Smart Homes, Maastricht University
Papers
19
Total Citations
794
H-Index
11
About
Claire Huijnen is a pioneering researcher in the field of social and assistive robotics, with a particular focus on two vulnerable populations: children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Her work sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction, therapeutic intervention, and inclusive co-design, making her a distinctive voice in translating robotics research into real-world clinical and educational practice. Huijnen's most influential contribution — mapping therapy and educational objectives for children with ASD to appropriate robotic platforms — has garnered over 126 citations and fundamentally shaped how practitioners think about purposeful robot deployment. Her co-creation methodology, which meaningfully involves people with autism, parents, and professionals in the design process, reflects a deeply ethical approach to assistive technology development, cited over 117 times. Equally significant is her sustained work on companion robotics for older adults, contributing to the EU-funded CompanionAble project and producing research that has collectively attracted hundreds of citations. Across more than a decade of scholarship, Huijnen has championed user-centred evaluation and stakeholder inclusion, ensuring that robots serve genuine human needs rather than technological novelty — a contribution that continues to shape researchers and practitioners entering the assistive robotics field.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 9Robots as New Tools in Therapy and Education for Children with Autism38 citations · 2017
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