Aaron Powers
Human Media, Carnegie Mellon University, iRobot (United States)
Papers
10
Total Citations
2,161
H-Index
8
About
Aaron Powers is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI) whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of how people perceive, accept, and cooperate with robotic systems. With over 1,150 citations across his most influential publications, Powers has made lasting contributions to the study of robot design, anthropomorphism, and adaptive dialogue in social robotics. His landmark 2004 paper on matching robot appearance and behavior to tasks (775 citations) established a foundational principle in HRI: that alignment between a robot's social cues and its functional role significantly improves human cooperation and acceptance. Building on this, Powers explored how physical embodiment and presence influence anthropomorphism, demonstrating that collocated humanoid robots elicit stronger human-like attributions than screen-based agents — a critical finding for researchers weighing the costs of physical robot development. Powers also advanced our understanding of robot persona and communication, investigating how gendered robot characteristics and adaptive dialogue strategies affect information exchange and social dynamics. His cross-cutting 2008 piece on what robotics can learn from HCI reflects his broader commitment to bridging disciplines. Later work on heads-up, hands-free robot operation signals his range across both social and operational robotics, making him a versatile and enduringly influential voice in the field.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Anthropomorphic Interactions with a Robot and Robot–like Agent409 citations · 2008
- 3The advisor robot346 citations · 2006
- 4Comparing a computer agent with a humanoid robot341 citations · 2007
- 5Eliciting information from people with a gendered humanoid robot155 citations · 2006
- 6
- 7
- 8FEATUREWhat robotics can learn from HCI13 citations · 2008
- 9
- 10