Laura Hidalgo Rueda

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Dr. Laura Hidalgo Rueda is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of educational robotics and early childhood development. Her work centers on leveraging human-robot interaction to foster social-emotional learning in preschool-aged children, with a particular focus on teaching prosocial behaviors like sharing. Her most notable contribution, the RoDy robotic teddy bear, represents a breakthrough in tangible, child-friendly technology. As detailed in her 2019 paper "RoDy: Teaching to share in Pre-School Education with a robotic teddy," Dr. Hidalgo Rueda designed this interactive robot to move beyond traditional STEM instruction, using narrative and play to instill core social values. While her citation count of 4 reflects the nascent stage of this specific niche, the work has laid critical groundwork for a new generation of "social robots" in education. Her research is distinguished by its child-centered design philosophy, proving that robots can be gentle, empathetic teachers of human virtues. Dr. Hidalgo Rueda’s visionary approach is shaping how we think about technology’s role in nurturing the whole child, making her a key voice in the future of developmental robotics.