Papers
32
Total Citations
1,774
H-Index
16
About
Maha Salem is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), whose work sits at the compelling intersection of robot behavior, trust, and social communication. She is best known for her investigations into how robots can communicate more naturally and effectively with humans, with a particular focus on gesture, anthropomorphism, and the dynamics of trust in collaborative settings. Salem's most influential contributions examine how robot mistakes and erroneous behavior shape human willingness to cooperate with robots — a question her 2015 paper "Would You Trust a (Faulty) Robot?" explored to remarkable effect, accumulating 472 citations. Her complementary work on robot gesture, including how multimodal behavior influences perceived likability and anthropomorphism, has collectively garnered hundreds of citations and helped establish foundational principles for designing socially intelligent robots. Beyond interaction design, Salem has made significant contributions to the ethics and safety of social robotics, addressing the practical challenges of deploying robots in home and healthcare environments. Her cross-cultural HRI research, exploring Arabic and English speaker differences in robot acceptance, further demonstrates the breadth of her scholarship. With over 1,500 total citations, Salem's work continues to shape how researchers and designers approach trustworthy, human-centered robotic systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Would You Trust a (Faulty) Robot?472 citations · 2015
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- 3Generation and Evaluation of Communicative Robot Gesture182 citations · 2012
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- 6Marhaba, how may i help you?76 citations · 2014
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- 10Evaluating Trust and Safety in HRI : Practical Issues and Ethical Challenges33 citations · 2015