Glenna L. Buford

Papers

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About

Glenna L. Buford is a researcher specializing in human-robot interaction, collaborative teaming, and cognitive workload assessment. Her work sits at a compelling intersection of human factors engineering and robotics, focusing on how humans and robots can function as genuine partners rather than simply tools and operators. Buford's most significant contributions examine the dynamics of peer-based human-robot teams, particularly how collaboration structures influence human mental workload and overall team performance. Her most-cited work, "Measuring Human Workload in a Collaborative Human-Robot Team" (2015, 28 citations), established foundational models for understanding how close coupling and direct interaction between humans and robots affect cognitive demands. This research challenged assumptions about robotic teammates, building on earlier findings suggesting humans may actually experience reduced workload when partnered with robots compared to human counterparts. Her experimental approach is notably applied and practical — simulating real-world scenarios such as first-responder bomb threat searches to observe natural, verbal communication between teammates. Across her body of work, Buford has helped advance a more nuanced understanding of human-robot team dynamics, contributing methodological frameworks that support safer and more effective integration of robotic systems into high-stakes collaborative environments. Her research remains an important reference point for human factors professionals and robotics engineers alike.