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About

Helena Anna Frijns is a researcher working at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), communication theory, and assistive technology design. Her most influential contribution, "Communication Models in Human–Robot Interaction" (2021, 36 citations), introduces the Asymmetric MODel of ALterity in HRI (AMODAL-HRI), a pioneering interdisciplinary framework that bridges communication theory with HRI scholarship, offering researchers a more nuanced lens for understanding the fundamentally unequal relationship between humans and robots. This theoretical ambition is complemented by applied work, including design guidelines for collaborative industrial robot interfaces and an analytical solution for humanoid robot kinematics, demonstrating her range across both conceptual and technical domains. A recurring thread throughout Frijns's career is her commitment to inclusive, user-centred design. Her work on embodied conversational agents for elderly users (2016) and subsequent co-design studies with care home residents and workers reflects a sustained focus on ensuring that vulnerable populations meaningfully shape the technologies intended to support them. Her more recent speculative and ethnographic approaches to care robotics critically interrogate the gap between technological promises and real-world implementation. Across roughly 75 total citations, Frijns has established herself as a thoughtful voice advocating for ethical, participatory, and theoretically grounded approaches to social robotics.