Papers
30
Total Citations
719
H-Index
13
About
Elena Torta is a robotics researcher whose work spans two richly interconnected domains: socially assistive robotics for elderly care and robot navigation in built environments. Her early and most influential contributions focused on designing and evaluating humanoid robots capable of supporting independent living for older adults in intelligent home settings. Her 2014 evaluation study (134 citations) and her 2013 comprehensive framework for assistive robots (106 citations) established her as a leading voice in human-robot interaction, demonstrating how robotic companions could meaningfully extend elder care in the face of growing caregiver shortages. Torta also brought nuance to the social dynamics of robotics, investigating proxemic behavior, eye contact, iconic gestures, and anthropomorphism — research that collectively shaped how robots navigate and communicate in human spaces. Her design of parametric models for robotic social navigation (53 citations) remains a foundational reference in the field. More recently, Torta has pioneered the integration of Building Information Modeling with robot navigation, connecting semantic digital twins to real-world localization systems — work increasingly cited as automation reshapes construction and facility management. With a cumulative impact of over 600 citations, her research bridges the human and physical dimensions of robotics with both technical rigor and genuine social purpose.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4Design of a Parametric Model of Personal Space for Robotic Social Navigation53 citations · 2013
- 5
- 6Design of Robust Robotic Proxemic Behaviour42 citations · 2011
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10