Valentina Nisi

Instituto de Tecnologias Interativas, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Dr. Valentina Nisi is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, education, and animal-robot interaction. Her work explores how robotic and virtual agents can serve as engaging educational tools, particularly in environmental and biodiversity learning. In her most-cited paper, "Learning and Teaching Biodiversity Through a Storyteller Robot" (2017, 7 citations), she demonstrated how a robot storyteller can effectively teach ecological concepts, bridging technology and nature education. She extended this work in "Let’s Learn Biodiversity with a Virtual 'Robot'?" (2020, 3 citations), comparing physical and virtual agents for learning outcomes. Dr. Nisi is also breaking new ground in animal-robot interaction (ARI), a field far less explored than human-robot interaction. Her 2025 paper, "Robots adapting to dogs: a new frontier?" (1 citation), introduces a first-of-its-kind AI prototype enabling a humanoid robot to recognize canine emotional and postural states and adapt its behavior accordingly. This work opens exciting possibilities for animal welfare, veterinary care, and human-animal-robot coexistence. Though early in citation count, this contribution marks a significant frontier in robotics. Dr. Nisi’s research consistently pushes boundaries, using technology to foster learning and empathy across species.