Application Contexts

Whilst much of my work is not domain specific, my interest in pragmatic design for/implications on the "real world" lends itself to working with specific applications and interaction setttings. To date, I have mostly worked with applications of socially assistive robots for healthcare and education.

Healthcare

Social robots show potential as effective motivational tools for engaging users in health-related activities and supporting long term behaviour change. I have conducted work on the design of social robot interaction strategies for motivation and persuasion, taking inspiration from (and working closely with) professionals in e.g. rehabilitative therapies. I've also published on the ethical risks of anthropomorphism in this context. My current work in this area is focused on the role such robots could/should take within existing social networks of support (think community-situated healthcare) and how we might better consider issues around informal care and labour.

Education

I work to understand the ways in which robots can/will influence classroom norms and dynamics, particularly with regards to ongoing inequities in STEM education. For example, I have led a number of studies investigating the potential impacts of norm-breaking social robot design on gender biases and interest in computing. I am also interested in developing participatory, educational HRI activities (e.g. child-led robot design and "teaching") that can support children's learning; ranging from improved understanding of AI and technology to reflexive development of social, emotional and moral competencies.

Selected Publications: Healthcare

Winkle, Katie, et al. "Social Robots for Engagement in Rehabilitative Therapies: Design Implications from a Study with Therapists" Proceedings of the 2018 ACM/IEEE international conference on human-robot interaction. 2018. Awarded Best Paper: Theory and Methods. Paper.

Winkle, Katie, and Laura Moradbakhti. "Differing Care Giver and Care Receiver Perceptions of Robot Agency in an In-Home Socially Assistive Robot for Exercise Engagement." 2023 32nd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN). IEEE, 2023. Paper.

Winkle, Katie, et al. "Mutual shaping in the design of socially assistive robots: a case study on social robots for therapy." International Journal of Social Robotics 12 (2020): 847-866. Paper.

Selected Publications: Education

Miranda, Lux, et al. "A Case for Diverse Social Robot Identity Performance in Education" Proceedings of the 2024 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction. 2024. Honorable mention for best alt.HRI submission. Paper.

Gillet, Sarah, et al. "Ice-Breakers, Turn-Takers and Fun-Makers: Exploring Robots for Groups with Teenagers." 2022 31st IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN). IEEE, 2022. Paper.

Winkle, Katie, et al. "Boosting robot credibility and challenging gender norms in responding to abusive behaviour: A case for feminist robots." Proceedings of the 2021 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot interaction. 2021. Paper