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About

Mafalda Gamboa is a leading voice in critical and design-led human-robot interaction (HRI), reshaping how the field understands robots not as perfect machines, but as flawed, situated, and deeply social actors. Her work challenges the "imagination crisis" in HCI, arguing that roboticists must move beyond utilitarian fantasies to embrace the messy, embodied realities of everyday life. Gamboa’s most cited paper, "Collection of Metaphors for Human-Robot Interaction" (49 citations), deconstructs the unrealistic expectations surrounding robots and advocates for a more honest, human-centered design approach. She is also a pioneer in studying child-drone interaction, using autoethnography to surface the nuanced dynamics of living with robots in domestic spaces (28 citations). Her research consistently champions critical robotics, questioning dominant paradigms and calling for more inclusive, reflective, and designerly methods. By foregrounding the lived experiences of both users and researchers—including the often-overlooked "wizards" behind the curtain—Gamboa’s work has garnered over 100 citations and is helping to steer HRI toward a more humanistic, critically engaged future.