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About

Timothy D. Sweeny’s research sits at the compelling intersection of human-robot interaction, social perception, and developmental psychology, with a particular focus on how individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) process social cues. His work explores the nuanced ways people perceive and respond to facial expressions and gaze, both from humans and from increasingly sophisticated robots. A central contribution is his investigation of “embodiment and presence” in robot design, showing that how a robot’s facial cues are physically rendered—such as through rear-projected, animated masks—significantly shapes human perception and engagement. His 2018 paper on this topic has garnered 55 citations, underscoring its influence in the field. Sweeny has also pioneered studies on gaze perception in 3D contexts, moving beyond traditional 2D eye-tracking to reveal that individuals with ASD process gaze differently when head and pupil rotations are presented in more naturalistic, three-dimensional settings. His pilot work using the Ryan rear-projected humanoid robot to assess facial expression recognition in autistic children (15 citations) highlights his commitment to translating basic research into practical, assistive technologies. Through these efforts, Sweeny is advancing our understanding of social cognition in both typical and atypical development, while shaping the design of more perceptive and responsive social robots.