Mirko Gelsomini
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Politecnico di Milano, Human Media
Papers
15
Total Citations
258
H-Index
8
About
Mirko Gelsomini is a leading researcher in child-robot interaction, specializing in the design of social robots for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). His work focuses on creating huggable, mobile, and emotionally responsive robotic companions—such as Teo, Puffy, and ELE—that support therapeutic and educational interventions. Gelsomini’s most cited paper, “Telling Stories to Robots” (101 citations), investigates how robots can decode children’s speaking and listening behaviors to become engaging conversational partners. He also developed the Backchannel Opportunity Prediction model, enabling robots to produce contingent listener responses that deeply engage young storytellers. His contributions include the KROG project, blending full-body interaction with large screens and robots for children with intellectual disabilities. Gelsomini’s designs, co-created with therapists and educators, have been recognized for their unique soft, inflatable, and configurable features that promote safe, playful interaction. With over 200 cumulative citations, his work has significantly advanced the field of assistive robotics, demonstrating how empathetic, adaptive robots can foster communication, learning, and social engagement in vulnerable populations.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Telling Stories to Robots101 citations · 2017
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- 4Backchannel opportunity prediction for social robot listeners19 citations · 2017
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- 10Puffy — An inflatable robotic companion for pre-schoolers7 citations · 2017