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About

Paul Tennent is a leading researcher at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), embodied interaction, and human-robot collaboration. His work fundamentally reimagines how humans relate to technology, moving beyond functional control toward richer, more somatic experiences. Tennent’s major contributions include pioneering the concept of “looseness of control” in embodied interaction, as detailed in his highly cited 2020 work *Contesting Control* (32 citations), which explores surrender and self-awareness through breath-controlled and brain-controlled interfaces. He has also reshaped safety paradigms in robotics with his 2025 paper *Somatic Safety* (3 citations), advocating for an embodied approach where physical contact with robots is not merely tolerated but designed for, drawing on contact improvisation with dancers. Collaborating with artists like Brendan Walker and Blast Theory, Tennent bridges art and robotics, as seen in his 2025 work *How Artists Improvise and Provoke Robotics* (7 citations). His research, including the exploration of “collision experiences” in *Tangles* (3 citations), consistently challenges conventional boundaries, making him a pivotal figure in designing technology that feels alive, responsive, and deeply human.