Eleftheria Mitka

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About

Eleftheria Mitka is a pioneering researcher in the safety engineering of autonomous systems, with a particular focus on domestic and agricultural robotics. Her work addresses a critical gap in the field: while robots are increasingly integrated into human environments, the safety frameworks governing them remain underdeveloped. Mitka’s most influential contribution is her 2012 paper on safety certification requirements for domestic robots, which has garnered 31 citations and serves as a foundational reference for researchers and regulators alike. In this work, she systematically identifies the unique hazards posed by robots operating in unstructured, human-centric spaces and proposes certification criteria that account for both technical and human factors. Mitka further advanced the field by applying the STAMP (Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes) methodology to domestic robot design in her 2015 study. Here, she argues compellingly that domestic robots should be viewed as socio-technical systems, where safety depends not only on hardware and software but also on organizational structures and cultural contexts. More recently, she has turned her attention to agricultural robotics, addressing the urgent need for safety standards in a sector projected to double production by 2050. By reviewing established safety protocols and identifying their limitations in agricultural settings, Mitka’s work provides a roadmap for developing robust, context-aware safety strategies that will be essential as robots become ubiquitous in our homes and farms.