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About

Omri Sass explores the psychological frontiers of human-robot interaction, focusing on how robotic systems can fulfill deeply human needs for intimacy, consolation, and social connection. His research demonstrates that when robots exhibit responsiveness—behaving sensitively and supportively toward human disclosures—they can evoke powerful social and emotional reactions. In his most cited work, *What robots can teach us about intimacy* (160 citations), Sass reveals that robot responsiveness not only enhances social impression but also increases human approach behavior and desire for companionship, as shown in his large-scale laboratory study. His findings challenge assumptions about the limits of machine empathy, showing that perceived responsiveness from robots can provide genuine consolation and reduce feelings of loneliness. By bridging social psychology and human-robot interaction, Sass’s contributions have significant design implications for socially assistive robots in healthcare, therapy, and everyday companionship. His work has been widely cited in fields ranging from human-computer interaction to social robotics, establishing him as a key voice in understanding how machines can meaningfully support human emotional well-being.