Nathalie Sick

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Nathalie Sick is a leading voice in the emerging field of human-robot collaboration, with a particular focus on the safe and effective integration of collaborative robots—or cobots—into the workplace. Her research centers on defining the fundamental nature of cobots, moving beyond traditional manufacturing and arm-based manipulators to explore broader applications and design principles. Sick’s most-cited work, “When is a Robot a Cobot?” (2023, 30 citations), addresses a critical gap by establishing a common understanding of what truly constitutes a cobot, a foundational contribution that shapes future research and industry standards. In her subsequent work, “Design Principles for Safe Human Robot Collaboration” (2024, 6 citations), she extends this framework to address emerging hazards and harms, moving beyond physical safety to encompass a more holistic view of collaborative risk. By systematically defining cobots and their safe deployment, Sick is providing the essential conceptual and practical groundwork for a paradigm shift in how humans and robots work together, making her a pivotal researcher in this rapidly advancing domain.