Gem Newman
Papers
3
Total Citations
149
H-Index
3
About
Gem Newman’s research sits at the fascinating intersection of human-robot interaction, affective computing, and nonverbal communication. Her most influential work explores how robots can convey emotion and intent through movement, specifically by applying the Laban Effort System—a framework originally developed for dance and human motion—to design expressive, affective locomotion paths for robots. This foundational research, published in 2013 and garnering over 140 combined citations, demonstrates that people naturally attribute moods and personalities to robotic motion, even when the robot is non-anthropomorphic. By systematically mapping movement qualities (e.g., weight, space, time, flow) to emotional states, Newman provided a practical toolkit for engineers and designers to make robots more socially intuitive and engaging. She also ventured into the ethically charged territory of robot authority, conducting an obedience study that examined how humans respond to robots issuing commands—a prescient investigation given today’s debates about autonomous systems in policing, healthcare, and the military. Newman’s work is essential reading for anyone interested in making robots not just functional, but emotionally legible and socially responsible.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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