Douglas J. Gillan

About

Douglas J. Gillan is a prominent researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human factors, robotics, and human-robot interaction (HRI). Over several decades, his scholarship has significantly advanced our understanding of how humans perceive, trust, and emotionally relate to robotic systems. His most influential contribution, "You Want Me to Trust a ROBOT?" (2012), introduced a dedicated Human-Robot Interaction Trust Scale that has become a foundational tool in the field, accumulating over 227 citations. Building on this, Gillan has explored how people assign moral and causal blame to robots of varying autonomy levels, raising critical ethical questions as autonomous systems become more prevalent in team-based environments. Gillan's research extends into the emotional dimensions of human-robot relationships, investigating attachment formation and developing generalized models of emotional bonding with technology. His educational work with LEGO robotics platforms demonstrates a commitment to translating cognitive science principles into meaningful pedagogical practice, examining self-efficacy, metacognition, and problem-solving development in students. His earlier work on telerobot interfaces and multi-robot control systems reflects a career-long dedication to optimizing human-machine collaboration. Collectively, Gillan's research provides indispensable frameworks for designing safer, more intuitive, and ethically informed robotic systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   You Want Me to Trust a ROBOT? The Development of a Human–Robot Interaction Trust Scale

   227 citations · 2012
2. 2
   Attributing Blame to Robots: I. The Influence of Robot Autonomy

   83 citations · 2019
3. 3
   Toward a generalized model of human emotional attachment

   26 citations · 2020
4. 4
   Cognitive Analysis Methods for Control of Multiple Robots: Robotics on $5 a Day

   16 citations · 2004
5. 5
   An Exploration of Robot Builders’ Attachment to Their LEGO Robots

   13 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Exploring Reflection Journals and Self-efficacy in Robotics Education

   9 citations · 2014
7. 7
   26. What the Robot's Camera Tells the Operator's Brain

   7 citations · 2006
8. 8
   Practices of Teaching Problem Solving Skills in Robotics Education

   5 citations · 2013
9. 9
   Human-Telerobot Interactions: Information, Control, and Mental Models

   5 citations · 1987
10. 10
    An Exploration of Robot Builders’ Emotional Responses to Their Tournament Robots

    4 citations · 2014

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links