Eric Soetens
Papers
2
Total Citations
22
H-Index
2
About
Eric Soetens is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of affective computing, human-robot interaction, and speech processing. His primary contributions lie in designing and evaluating vocal interfaces that enable more natural, emotionally expressive communication between humans and robots. Soetens is best known for his foundational work on the EMOGIB database, a specialized corpus of emotional gibberish speech that allows robots to convey affect through prosody alone, bypassing the complexities of semantic content. This resource, cited 16 times, has become a key tool for researchers exploring non-verbal affective cues in robotics. He also advanced experimental methodology by developing voice modification techniques for Wizard-of-Oz studies with children, enabling more controlled and ecologically valid interactions. Though his citation counts are modest, Soetens’ work is notable for its creative approach to a persistent challenge in social robotics: how to make machines sound genuinely emotional. His efforts have helped lay the groundwork for more believable and engaging robot companions, particularly in child-robot interaction contexts where vocal affect is critical for building trust and rapport.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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