Taoyu Wu
Papers
1
Total Citations
4
H-Index
1
About
Taoyu Wu investigates the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on empathy and social perception. In their highly cited 2024 study, “Do we empathize humanoid robots and humans in the same way? Behavioral and multimodal brain imaging investigations,” Wu addresses a critical question in contemporary robotics and psychology: whether people empathize with humanoid robots differently than with humans, even when the robots appear nearly identical to us. By combining subjective reports, electrophysiological recordings, and functional brain imaging, Wu’s work reveals distinct neural signatures for empathy toward robots versus humans, challenging assumptions about our capacity for emotional connection with artificial agents. This research, already garnering 4 citations shortly after publication, has significant implications for the design of socially assistive robots and our understanding of human social cognition. Wu’s contributions bridge cognitive neuroscience, affective science, and human-robot interaction, offering foundational insights into how the brain distinguishes between living and artificial social partners—work that will shape both ethical guidelines and technological development in an increasingly robotic world.
Research Focus
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- 1