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About

Susanne Frennert is a prominent Swedish researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction, assistive technology, and gerontechnology. With a career dedicated to understanding how older adults experience and relate to social and assistive robots, she has made substantial contributions to both the theoretical and practical dimensions of eldercare robotics. Frennert's most influential work, "Seven Matters of Concern of Social Robots and Older People" (2014, 192 citations), established a foundational framework for evaluating the ethical, social, and practical considerations surrounding robot deployment in aging populations. Her research extended into real-world settings through landmark field trials — notably with the Hobbit robotic platform and GiraffPlus system — examining how assistive robots perform in private homes rather than controlled laboratory environments, a methodological commitment that distinguishes her scholarship. Her investigations into technological frames and care robots reveal how the assumptions held by frontline workers shape technology acceptance in eldercare contexts. From her early inquiry into whether older people would welcome robots into their homes to detailed usability analyses accumulated across hundreds of household trials, Frennert has consistently centered the voices of older adults themselves. Collectively, her work has garnered over 700 citations, making her an essential reference point for researchers designing human-centered assistive technologies.