Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Simone Nertinger is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), with a focus on the safety, acceptance, and practical deployment of assistive robots in healthcare. Her work bridges the critical gap between technical robot performance and human trust, particularly in sensitive applications like remote patient care and physical therapy. Nertinger’s most cited paper, “Acceptance of Remote Assistive Robots with and without Human-in-the-Loop for Healthcare Applications” (2022, 26 citations), explores how human oversight influences trust in robots performing safety-critical medical tasks. She further advanced the field by developing the Expectable Motion Unit (EMU) concept, a velocity scaling scheme that dynamically adjusts robot speed based on human proximity to enhance users’ perceived safety—a contribution detailed in her 2023 work (5 citations). Her concise 2024 overview of safety in HRI (10 citations) has become a key reference for the community. Notably, Nertinger employs a user-centered design approach to identify requirements for implementing robot-assisted physical therapy with humanoid robots, aiming to improve home-based care for older adults. Her research is instrumental in shaping how robots can be trusted partners in healthcare, blending technical innovation with deep human factors understanding.