David Schlangen
Bielefeld University, The Dialogue, Center for Applied Linguistics
Papers
12
Total Citations
176
H-Index
8
About
David Schlangen is a leading researcher in situated natural language processing and human-robot interaction (HRI), with a focus on making machines that can understand and participate in real-time, multi-modal dialogue. His work bridges the gap between computational linguistics and robotics, exploring how robots can ground language in physical environments and coordinate with humans through both speech and non-linguistic cues. A major contribution is his development of incremental processing frameworks—such as InproTK—that allow robots to understand and act on language word-by-word, enabling fluid, responsive interactions. Schlangen’s research on turn-taking and attention management, including how robots can signal uncertainty through hesitation or gaze, has been highly influential, with papers like “How to Address Smart Homes with a Social Robot?” (29 citations) and “It’s Not What You Do, It’s How You Do It” (25 citations) shaping the field. He has also advanced the study of side-participants in multi-party dialogue, demonstrating how robots can actively track conversations without dominating them. With over a dozen papers on grounding strategies, disfluency, and closed feedback loops, Schlangen’s work is essential reading for anyone interested in building truly conversational, socially aware robots.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2
- 3It's Not What You Do, It's How You Do It25 citations · 2017
- 4Are you talking to me?25 citations · 2016
- 5
- 6Towards Closed Feedback Loops in HRI17 citations · 2014
- 7
- 8The Hesitating Robot - Implementation and First Impressions8 citations · 2018
- 9Turn‐Taking and Coordination in Human‐Machine Interaction6 citations · 2016
- 10