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About

David Miralles is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of social robotics, human-robot interaction (HRI), and cloud-based robotic systems. His work centers on developing empathetic, engaging robotic companions for vulnerable populations, particularly hospitalized children. Miralles’ most impactful contribution is his 2022 study on empathy as an engagement strategy in social robotics (20 citations), which quantitatively captured early empathy indicators to foster deeper human-robot bonds. He also introduced a groundbreaking cloud robotics architecture (2013, 12 citations) that enables personalized, long-term child-robot partnerships in medical facilities, reducing stress and anxiety through adaptive pet-robot companions. His 2015 work on enhancing long-term engagement via cloud connectivity (8 citations) further solidified this approach. Beyond social robotics, Miralles explores visuo-haptic object recognition, using 3D virtual simulations to train robots for shape recognition (2024, 4 citations). Notable achievements include his empathy test-bed for social robots (2020) and cross-reality environments like LSInvaders (2013), which blend human-robot collaboration with gaming. With a total of over 55 citations, Miralles’ research is shaping the future of compassionate, cloud-connected robotics in healthcare and beyond.