Johan Simonsen Abildgaard

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Johan Simonsen Abildgaard is a design researcher whose work critically examines the intersection of technology, policy, and care, with a particular focus on how assistive robots are integrated into everyday life. His key research areas include science and technology studies (STS), design anthropology, and the politics of care technologies. Abildgaard’s major contribution lies in his innovative application of the “script” concept—originally from actor-network theory—to analyze how policies, design intentions, and care practices become entangled, shaping the real-world use of technologies like feeding robots. His most-cited paper, “The entwinement of policy, design and care scripts: Providing alternative choice‐dependency situations with care robots” (2022), draws on ethnographic fieldwork to reveal how these scripts create “choice-dependency situations” that can either empower or constrain users. This work has garnered 8 citations, establishing him as a thoughtful voice in the growing field of human-robot interaction and care ethics. By moving beyond technical efficiency to explore the socio-material dynamics of care, Abildgaard offers vital insights for designing more responsive and equitable assistive technologies.