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About

Eva Verhelst is a leading researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, second language acquisition, and artificial intelligence. Her work focuses on developing adaptive, socially intelligent robotic tutors that can provide individualized language practice—a critical need given the shortage of human language teachers. Verhelst's most influential contribution is her pioneering integration of generative AI and social robots for second language tutoring, detailed in her 2024 paper (12 citations), which demonstrates how these technologies can simulate the interpersonal interaction essential for effective learning. She has also tackled the persistent challenge of automatic speech recognition for non-native speakers, showing in her 2025 work (7 citations) how large language models can compensate for ASR errors, making conversational AI more robust for language learners. Beyond language education, Verhelst has advanced the field of error detection in human-robot interaction, developing neural models that predict user-perceived robot failures from multi-modal temporal data (4 citations). Her research on child speech recognition in HRI (3 citations) further underscores her commitment to inclusive, accessible educational technology. Verhelst's work is shaping the future of personalized, AI-driven education.