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About

Yachao Pei is a robotics researcher specializing in human-robot interaction, telepresence systems, and child-robot dynamics. His most influential work centers on developing robots that bridge social and physical gaps, particularly for vulnerable populations like young children and the elderly. Pei’s flagship project, **ChiCaRo**—a tele-presence robot designed for babies and toddlers—has garnered 32 citations and addresses the challenge of diminishing intergenerational contact in super-aging societies. By enabling remote physical interaction through movement and a small hand, ChiCaRo facilitates meaningful connections between grandparents and grandchildren separated by distance. Pei has also advanced industrial robotics, proposing a real-time 3-D visual detection-based soft wire avoidance scheme (13 citations) that enhances the autonomy and safety of robot manipulators in production environments. His work on understanding children’s fear of social robots (“I’m Scared,” 9 citations) reveals critical insights into rejection behaviors, informing more empathetic robot design. With a cumulative impact spanning childcare, elder connectivity, and industrial automation, Pei’s research demonstrates how robots can serve as compassionate intermediaries—whether in the home, the playroom, or the factory floor.