Mahni Shayganfar
Papers
5
Total Citations
99
H-Index
2
About
Mahni Shayganfar’s research lies at the compelling intersection of human-robot interaction, affective computing, and assistive technology, with a focus on how emotionally aware machines can improve human well-being. Her most influential work, “Creating New Technologies for Companionable Agents to Support Isolated Older Adults” (90 citations), developed a real-time architecture enabling virtual agents and robots to interact interchangeably through dialog and gesture, directly addressing loneliness in aging populations. Shayganfar’s core contribution is advancing cognitive appraisal theory—how machines evaluate relevance, controllability, and emotional impact—to make robots more collaborative and empathetic. In studies like “It Was Not Your Fault” and “Impact of Affective Appraisal on Collaborative Goal Management,” she demonstrated that robots capable of emotional awareness and shared goal regulation (using cost-based decision algorithms) significantly improve human-robot collaboration. Her work shows that when a robot can “share your worries,” it enhances trust and task performance. Shayganfar’s research is pioneering in making technology not just functional, but companionable—a vital step toward socially intelligent systems that support vulnerable users. Her findings have implications for healthcare robotics, elder care, and collaborative AI, positioning her as a key voice in designing machines that truly understand and respond to human emotion.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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