Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Aziez Sardar is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, specializing in the social norms that govern how people perceive and respond to robots. His work focuses on the critical question of what makes a robot’s behavior socially acceptable, exploring how factors like physical proximity and appearance influence human comfort and trust. Sardar’s most influential paper, “Don’t stand so close to me” (2012, 58 citations), demonstrates that people expect robots to adhere to the same interpersonal distance norms as humans, with violations causing discomfort. He further developed this line of inquiry by creating the BEHAVE-II framework (2013, 57 citations), a comprehensive set of measures for assessing users’ attitudinal and behavioral responses to social robots. This tool has become a standard for evaluating robot social competence. His more recent work, “Making Appearances” (2020, 38 citations), continues to explore how robot behaviors must align with social expectations to foster acceptance. Through these contributions, Sardar has provided foundational insights that guide the design of robots capable of seamless, non-threatening integration into human environments.