Emmanuel de Margerie

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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About

Emmanuel de Margerie is a pioneering researcher in animal-robot interaction and behavioral biology, with a focus on understanding social attachment and spatial cognition in gallinaceous birds. His work bridges robotics and ethology, exploring how autonomous robots can influence animal behavior during early development. In his highly cited 2011 study (33 citations), de Margerie demonstrated that quail chicks exposed to a mobile robot with a heat source during development showed altered spatial behavior in later exploration and detour tests, revealing the robot's capacity to shape cognitive and social development. His 2016 paper (30 citations) further established the foundational requisites for animal-to-robot social attachment in young quail, showing that robots can serve as effective social surrogates to study parental and peer influences on behavioral development. This innovative approach has opened new avenues for non-invasive experimental paradigms in behavioral science. De Margerie's work is notable for its interdisciplinary impact, contributing to robotics, animal cognition, and welfare science, and his studies remain essential reading for researchers exploring the intersection of technology and animal behavior.