Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Victor Kaptelinin is a leading scholar in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), whose work bridges the theoretical foundations of activity theory with the emerging challenges of human-robot interaction. His research primarily explores how people make sense of and interact with intelligent, autonomous systems, particularly robotic telepresence and embodied agents. A landmark contribution is his concept of “Objects with Intent” (OwI’s), which re-frames everyday artifacts as sites for distributed intelligence and agency—a perspective that has garnered 60 citations and is reshaping how we design for seamless, context-aware computing. Kaptelinin’s empirical studies, such as his work on office workers’ first encounters with telepresence robots (25 citations), provide critical insights into the social dynamics and usability hurdles of remote presence technologies. He has also innovated in the design space of telepresence robots, developing low-fidelity prototypes for gesture arms to enhance non-verbal communication (23 citations) and exploring contactless object manipulation to extend robots’ physical capabilities. Through his theoretical and applied work, Kaptelinin has become a pivotal voice in understanding how robots inhabit and transform real-world contexts, making his research essential for anyone designing technologies that must act with, and within, human environments.