Diogo Rato

Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores Investigação e Desenvolvimento

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About

Diogo Rato is a leading researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction and game design. His work centers on how social robots and socially interactive agents can be integrated into gaming environments to create novel, engaging experiences while simultaneously advancing our understanding of human-robot dynamics. Rato’s most impactful contribution is his seminal paper, "Robots in Games" (2022), which has garnered 18 citations and provides a comprehensive framework for deploying robots in playful contexts. This work highlights how games serve as powerful testbeds for studying social interaction, while also opening new avenues for game mechanics. He further expanded this domain with his chapter "Socially Interactive Agents in Games" (2022, 6 citations), published in the authoritative *Handbook on Socially Interactive Agents*, co-authored with Rui Prada. This chapter synthesizes two decades of research on embodied conversational agents and social robotics within gaming. Rato’s research is pivotal for designers and engineers seeking to build more natural, responsive, and socially aware robotic systems, demonstrating that play is not just a pastime but a powerful tool for advancing artificial social intelligence.