Cristina Zaga
Papers
21
Total Citations
325
H-Index
10
About
Cristina Zaga is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), design research, and child-computer interaction, whose work has fundamentally shaped how we think about social robots in educational and public contexts. With her most-cited paper, "The Effect of a Robot's Social Character on Children's Task Engagement" (2015, 77 citations), Zaga established early and influential groundwork for understanding how robot personality influences children's learning and play. Her research consistently champions a design-led approach to HRI, most notably articulated in "Designerly Ways of Knowing in HRI" (2021, 57 citations), where she argues that design itself constitutes a legitimate and distinct epistemological framework — a perspective that has significantly advanced methodological discourse in the field. Zaga's work spans minimal expressive robot movements for child interaction, serendipitous social robotics in public spaces, and collaborative human-machine partnerships in future workplaces. She has also been a vocal advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in embodied AI. Collectively, her publications reflect a researcher committed not only to technical innovation but to ensuring that robots serve genuine human and social good — making her an essential voice for students navigating the ethical and design frontiers of HRI.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Designerly Ways of Knowing in HRI57 citations · 2021
- 3A Simple Nod of the Head36 citations · 2017
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- 8Robots for Social Good: Exploring Critical Design for HRI13 citations · 2019
- 9
- 10<i>Gotta Hatch 'em All!</i>11 citations · 2017