Damien Rudaz
Papers
2
Total Citations
24
H-Index
2
About
Damien Rudaz is a leading voice in the emerging field of human-robot interaction (HRI), with a specific focus on the micro-sociology of how people make sense of robots in real-world settings. Drawing on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, Rudaz’s work fundamentally challenges how we design and study social robots by examining the “off-the-record” moments that typically escape experimental control. His highly cited 2023 paper, *From Inanimate Object to Agent*, demonstrates how the very first seconds of co-presence—the “pre-beginning” phase—are critical for establishing a robot as a social agent, a finding that has reshaped experimental design in the field. In his 2024 work, *‘Playing the robot’s advocate’*, Rudaz analyzes a large corpus of natural museum interactions to reveal how human bystanders actively work to maintain a robot’s status as a competent participant. By showing that humans often describe a robot’s conduct for others, Rudaz provides powerful evidence that social agency is not a property of the machine but an interactional achievement. His research, accumulating over 24 citations from these foundational studies, is essential reading for anyone designing robots for public spaces or studying the fundamental nature of human-machine sociality.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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