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About

Dr. Eamonn Bourke’s research sits at the vital intersection of socially assistive robotics (SAR), human-robot interaction, and intelligent system design, with a strong emphasis on real-world deployment in care settings. He is best known for his foundational work on “Stevie,” a socially assistive robot developed through a pioneering “design-thinking” approach. His 2019 paper on this topic (46 citations) and a subsequent study exploring perceptions of Stevie among residents and staff in long-term care facilities (25 citations) have been instrumental in shaping how robots can support aging populations and ease the burden on care workers. Bourke’s contributions extend to technical innovation, including an IoT-based monitoring system for UV disinfection robots during the COVID-19 pandemic (10 citations), and foundational work in adapting the Goals/Questions/Metrics (GQM) method for robot design. He has also advanced physical human-robot interaction through dynamic characterization of pneumatic artificial muscles. With over 90 total citations, Bourke’s work is distinguished by its human-centered focus—bridging engineering rigor with the nuanced needs of vulnerable users—making him a leading voice in the drive to deploy empathetic, effective robotic assistants in the real world.