Emily Thomas
Papers
3
Total Citations
17
H-Index
3
About
Emily Thomas is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, educational technology, and mental well-being. Her work focuses on leveraging social robots to mitigate student stress and enhance learning environments through innovative, multimodal interventions. Thomas’s major contributions include designing and evaluating robots that guide users through slow-paced breathing exercises, a method proven to reduce anxiety. Her pilot study with the humanoid robot NAO demonstrated significant stress reduction in higher education students, garnering 8 citations and laying the groundwork for scalable, robot-assisted wellness tools. She further advanced this field with the development of Neffy, a sustainable anthropomorphic social robot that evolved from Yale’s Ommie prototype, achieving 6 citations for its eco-friendly design and multimodal support of breathing exercises. Thomas also explores the role of humour in educational robots, as seen in her 2024 study on robot-led Scrumban simulations in business education, which received 3 citations. Her work is notable for its practical impact, combining rigorous methodology with real-world applications in classrooms and beyond. Thomas’s research not only addresses pressing mental health challenges but also sets a new standard for empathetic, sustainable robotics in education.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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