Soomi Park

Papers

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About

Soomi Park is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on designing socially graceful robots that navigate the complexities of everyday human encounters. Her most-cited work, "Should Robots Blush?" (2021, 9 citations), tackles a fundamental challenge in robotics: how machines can fail gracefully in social settings. Park argues that, just as humans use embarrassment to acknowledge mistakes and repair interactions, robots might benefit from similar expressive strategies. This contribution is notable for reframing robot error not as a flaw to be hidden, but as an opportunity for more authentic and resilient social engagement. By drawing on insights from psychology and sociology, Park’s research bridges the gap between technical performance and human expectations, offering a blueprint for robots that can handle the inevitable awkwardness of real-world interaction. Her work is especially impactful for students and researchers exploring the intersection of emotion, design, and artificial intelligence, as it challenges the field to think beyond perfect functionality toward more relatable, adaptive machines.