Simone M. de Droog

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About

Simone M. de Droog is a pioneering researcher in child-robot interaction (CRI), with a focus on designing socially intelligent robots for primary mathematics education. Her work addresses a critical challenge: ensuring that a robot’s social behaviors enhance, rather than distract from, learning. In her most-cited paper, "Design Specifications for a Social Robot Math Tutor" (20 citations), she proposes concrete specifications for intertwining math tasks with personalized social interactions, enabling children to practice arithmetic through engaging conversations with a robot. De Droog’s research also tackles the practical hurdle of sustaining child-robot relationships over time. Her 2024 study, "Back to School" (8 citations), involving 113 children across four sessions with a nine-month break, demonstrates strategies for maintaining rapport after long interruptions—a key step toward deploying robots in real classrooms. Earlier work, "Exploring Requirements and Opportunities for Social Robots in Primary Mathematics Education" (5 citations), identifies needs amplified by COVID-19, such as supporting students who fell behind and easing teacher burdens. De Droog also contributes to methodological rigor in CRI through her paper "CRITTER," which advocates for open science and replication practices tailored to child-robot studies. Her research is shaping how social robots can become sustainable, effective partners in education.