William N. Benson

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

William N. Benson is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, specializing in telepresence and haptic communication. His work addresses critical gaps in remote social interaction by integrating touch-based and nonverbal cues into telerobotic systems. Benson’s most cited paper, “Design and Implementation of a Haptic Measurement Glove to Create Realistic Human-Telerobot Interactions” (2020, 10 citations), introduces a novel glove that captures and transmits tactile data, enabling more natural remote touch—a breakthrough for telepresence applications. Expanding on this, his 2022 study, “Embodied Expressive Gestures in Telerobots: A Tale of Two Users” (6 citations), explores how expressive gesturing and tangible feedback enhance communication for both pilots and local users, moving beyond conventional visual-audio interfaces. Though early in his career, Benson’s work has already shaped discourse on social telepresence, emphasizing the dual-user experience. His contributions are vital for advancing telerobots in healthcare, remote collaboration, and assistive technologies, where realistic interaction is key. With a focus on embodied cognition and haptic design, Benson is a rising voice in making remote presence more human.