Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Mike E.U. Ligthart is a human-robot interaction researcher whose work centers on designing meaningful, long-term relationships between children and social robots. His research spans educational robotics, child-robot interaction design, and the application of social robots in sensitive healthcare settings, making him a distinctive voice at the intersection of technology, child development, and wellbeing. Ligthart's most influential contribution, "Design Patterns for an Interactive Storytelling Robot" (2020, 59 citations), established concrete frameworks for enabling child agency in robot-mediated narrative experiences. His sustained focus on long-term interaction is evident across multiple works, including his memory-based personalization strategy (2022, 31 citations) and studies examining how robots can maintain relationships after extended breaks — a critically underexplored challenge in the field. His research on self-disclosure and acquaintance-building (2019, 23 citations) addresses the foundational social dynamics that make sustained child-robot bonds possible. Particularly notable is his translational work bringing social robots into pediatric oncology clinics to address sleep hygiene and stress reduction (2022, 23 citations; 2018, 13 citations), demonstrating real-world impact beyond laboratory settings. With over 218 cumulative citations, Ligthart's research offers both theoretical grounding and practical design guidance for researchers and practitioners building robots that genuinely serve children's educational and emotional needs.