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About

Yuqi Yao investigates the intersection of human-robot interaction and affective computing, focusing on how robotic presence and design influence human behavior, emotion, and motivation. Her major contributions include demonstrating that a co-located robot’s anthropomorphism and state significantly affect task performance and emotional responses—findings with implications for workplace and home robotics. In her 2022 study on robotic presence (21 citations), she showed that anthropomorphic robots can enhance positive affect but may also distract, depending on the robot’s active or idle state. Her follow-up work (8 citations) further revealed that personality traits and gender moderate these effects, offering nuanced guidance for robot design. More recently, Yao introduced the novel concept of “programmable actuated fidgeting” with swarm robots (SwarmFidget, 2023), exploring how small, tabletop robots can serve as customizable fidget devices to support focus and emotional regulation. This work opens new avenues for interactive, actuated tools in well-being and productivity contexts. Yao’s research is notable for bridging robotics, psychology, and design, with practical implications for creating more responsive and supportive robotic systems.