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About

Michael Prilla is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), collaborative systems, and sociotechnical design. He has made significant contributions to understanding how trust functions in hybrid human-robot teams, particularly in industrial and physical collaboration contexts. His most influential work examines the dynamics of trust in human-robot collaboration, exploring how verbal assurances, robot speed, and physical proximity shape human perceptions of safety, comfort, and reliance. His 2024 paper on trust dynamics in industrial settings has already garnered 25 citations, while his 2021 study on verbal assurances in physical human-robot collaboration has accumulated 23 citations — reflecting strong and growing interest in this field. Beyond robotics, Prilla extends his research into socially impactful domains, including the use of telepresence robots to support children with long-term illnesses in maintaining school attendance, where he thoughtfully examines privacy trade-offs among multiple stakeholders. He has also pioneered computational modeling of robot trust, proposing frameworks in which robots adaptively adjust behavior based on human predictability. Across his portfolio, Prilla demonstrates a consistent commitment to making human-robot collaboration safer, more transparent, and more ethically grounded.