Elizabeth Cha

About

Elizabeth Cha is a human-robot interaction researcher whose work spans nonverbal robot communication, telepresence technologies, and the integration of robots into everyday human environments. She has made foundational contributions to understanding how non-humanoid robots can effectively communicate with human collaborators, most notably through her highly cited 2018 survey on nonverbal signaling methods (98 citations), which has become an essential reference for researchers designing socially aware robots. Her investigations into perceived robot capability challenge the field's traditional focus on technical performance alone, arguing that user perception is equally critical to meaningful adoption. Cha's research on telepresence robotics has had particular impact in educational contexts, where she has explored how robots can support K-12 and university students who cannot physically attend school—work that proved especially prescient given global disruptions to in-person learning. Her studies on robot personalization, auditory localization, and social closeness further reveal how nuanced design choices shape human experience with robotic systems. With over 460 cumulative citations across her top works and research spanning laboratory, classroom, and home environments, Cha brings a distinctly human-centered lens to robotics, ensuring that technological advances translate into genuinely meaningful interactions for real users.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A Survey of Nonverbal Signaling Methods for Non-Humanoid Robots

   98 citations · 2018
2. 2
   Perceived robot capability

   59 citations · 2015
3. 3
   Designing telepresence robots for K-12 education

   58 citations · 2017
4. 4
   Are We <i>There</i> Yet? Comparing Remote Learning Technologies in the University Classroom

   52 citations · 2020
5. 5
   Effects of Robot Sound on Auditory Localization in Human-Robot Collaboration

   48 citations · 2018
6. 6
   Using nonverbal signals to request help during human-robot collaboration

   36 citations · 2016
7. 7
   Evaluating the Effects of Personalized Appearance on Telepresence Robots for Education

   36 citations · 2018
8. 8
   Closeness is Key over Long Distances

   29 citations · 2020
9. 9
   Nonverbal signaling for non-humanoid robots during human-robot collaboration

   26 citations · 2016
10. 10
    Robots in the Home

    24 citations · 2015

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links