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About

Sarah Rose Siskind is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, specializing in designing emotionally resonant social robots and conversational AI. Her work centers on building rapport between humans and machines, with a particular focus on small talk, empathy, and the subtle art of engagement. Siskind’s most cited paper, "Iterative Design of an Emotive Voice for the Tabletop Robot Haru" (2021, 11 citations), showcases her hands-on approach to crafting expressive, believable robot personalities. She further explores relationship-building in "Hey Haru, Let's Be Friends! Using the Tiers of Friendship to Build Rapport through Small Talk with the Tabletop Robot Haru" (2022), proposing a novel framework where robots simulate human friendship stages to foster deeper connections. Demonstrating her creative breadth, Siskind’s 2024 work, "Would you be impressed: applying principles of magic to chatbot conversations," draws an ingenious parallel between magicians’ misdirection and chatbot design, offering fresh strategies to manage user expectations and enhance perceived intelligence. Her interdisciplinary approach—blending robotics, psychology, and performance—positions her as a distinctive voice in making social robots not just functional, but genuinely companionable.