Katharina Brunnmayr

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Katharina Brunnmayr is a rising voice in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), pioneering speculative and playful methodologies to critically examine the future of robotics. Her research centers on using design fiction and role-playing to explore complex socio-technical issues, particularly in sensitive domains like elder care and end-of-life. Her most cited work, "Approaching Future Robot Technologies via Speculative Role-Playing" (2024, 7 citations), introduces a tabletop role-playing game as a tool for immersive, human-centered exploration of future robot technologies, demonstrating a novel approach to participatory design. In "From care practices to speculative vignettes–design considerations for robots in good care" (2024, 5 citations), she investigates why robotic technologies have seen limited success in care settings, offering design considerations grounded in actual care practices. Her provocative speculative video, "After Life Link: What If You Never Had to Say Goodbye?" (2024, 2 citations), presents a “thanabot” for managing grief, using design fiction to spark critical dialogue about the ethical boundaries of technology. Through these works, Brunnmayr is establishing herself as a key thinker in responsible, human-centered robotics, pushing the field to consider not just what robots *can* do, but what they *should* do.