Jan-Niklas Birger Stockmann

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Jan-Niklas Birger Stockmann investigates the intersection of human-robot interaction, virtual reality, and proxemic behavior, focusing on how mobile service robots can be designed to communicate more naturally and comfortably with people. His most-cited work, "Perception of a Mobile Service Robot’s Proxemic Behavior and Appearance in Virtual Reality" (2023), has garnered 7 citations and stands as a foundational study in using VR as a tool for evaluating robot social cues. In this research, Stockmann systematically examines how a robot's physical appearance and its spatial behavior—such as approach distance and orientation—affect human comfort and trust, offering concrete design guidelines for more socially aware robots. His contributions are particularly notable for bridging the gap between controlled experimental settings and real-world deployment, demonstrating that VR can serve as a valid, cost-effective proxy for studying complex social interactions. By quantifying subtle proxemic preferences, Stockmann’s work informs the development of service robots that can navigate crowded environments, such as hospitals or shopping malls, without causing discomfort. His findings are already shaping how engineers approach robot morphology and motion planning, making him a promising voice in the field of socially intelligent robotics.