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About

Patricia Pons is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI), with a particular focus on designing interactive technologies for children and animals. Her work explores how digital systems can create meaningful, multimodal playful ecosystems, moving beyond single-device interactions to richer, more engaging environments. Among her most cited contributions is a study on developing a depth-based tracking system for interactive play with animals (28 citations), which advanced the field of ACI by enabling more complex, multi-element technological setups. She also made significant strides in HCI through her work on gesture elicitation for controlling ground mini-robots with children (10 citations), and co-organized the influential workshop "Where HCI meets ACI" (9 citations), which fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue on method transferability. Earlier in her career, Pons contributed to engineering education with a highly cited paper on combining cooperative learning methods in microprocessor courses (37 citations). Her research consistently bridges human and animal experiences, demonstrating a unique commitment to inclusive, interactive design that benefits both species.