Franca Benini
Papers
1
Total Citations
2
H-Index
1
About
Franca Benini is a leading voice in the ethical and autonomous deployment of social robots in therapeutic settings. Her research sits at the critical intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), healthcare robotics, and applied ethics, with a particular focus on ensuring that robotic systems can engage patients on both social and emotional levels while respecting their autonomy. Her most cited work, the 2018 "Proceedings of the Workshop on Social Robots in Therapy: Focusing on Autonomy and Ethical Challenges," has garnered 2 citations and serves as a foundational text for the field, synthesizing global research from the USA, Europe, and Asia. In this landmark contribution, Benini systematically examines how Robot-Assisted Therapy (RAT) can be ethically integrated into healthcare interventions, addressing the core tension between a robot’s therapeutic effectiveness and a patient’s right to self-determination. By framing autonomy not as a barrier but as a design parameter, she has helped shape a new generation of socially assistive robots that are both compassionate and respectful. Her work is essential reading for any researcher or student grappling with the real-world implementation of social robots in clinical care.
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Top Papers
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