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About

Sara Kiesler is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI) whose work has fundamentally shaped how we understand the social and psychological dimensions of human relationships with robots. With a body of work accumulating thousands of citations, Kiesler has made landmark contributions exploring how robot appearance, behavior, and physical embodiment influence human perception and cooperation. Her influential 2004 study (775 citations) demonstrated that matching a robot's social cues to its intended task significantly improves human acceptance, while her early work on humanoid facial features (489 citations) laid critical groundwork for robot design principles. Kiesler has been particularly instrumental in advancing our understanding of anthropomorphism — the human tendency to attribute human-like qualities to robots — showing how physical presence and context shape these mental projections. Her research on mental models has illuminated how people form and apply cognitive frameworks when interacting with robotic assistants, with important implications for designing intuitive, trustworthy systems. From personalized snack-delivery robots to hand-over interaction protocols, Kiesler's research spans both theoretical foundations and practical applications, making her one of the most consequential voices in shaping socially intelligent robotics.