Francesca Fracasso

About

Francesca Fracasso is a researcher whose work sits at the compelling intersection of artificial intelligence, social robotics, and assistive technology for older adults. Over nearly two decades, she has made substantial contributions to the field of Active Assisted Living, developing and evaluating intelligent systems designed to help older people maintain independence and improve quality of life. Her most recognized work includes the development of ROBIN, an AI-enhanced telepresence robot embedded within sensor-rich home environments, which has garnered 62 citations and demonstrated the real-world potential of robotic telecare. Fracasso has also advanced the design of adaptive human-robot interaction, proposing cognitive architectures and dialogue frameworks that enable robots to deliver personalized, context-aware assistance — work that continues to shape how socially assistive robots are engineered and deployed. Her cross-national research examining social robot acceptance and marketability in Italy and Germany (44 citations) bridges technical innovation with societal readiness, a rare and valuable perspective. More recently, she has pioneered the use of social robots to support dance therapy for individuals with Parkinson's disease, reflecting a broadening vision of what assistive robotics can achieve in therapeutic contexts. With over 250 cumulative citations, Fracasso's research offers both depth and enduring relevance to the future of human-centered AI.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   ROBIN, a Telepresence Robot to Support Older Users Monitoring and Social Inclusion: Development and Evaluation

   62 citations · 2017
2. 2
   AI and robotics to help older adults: Revisiting projects in search of lessons learned

   49 citations · 2021
3. 3
   Social Robots Acceptance and Marketability in Italy and Germany: A Cross-National Study Focusing on Assisted Living for Older Adults

   44 citations · 2022
4. 4
   A dichotomic approach to adaptive interaction for socially assistive robots

   24 citations · 2022
5. 5
   A Mind-inspired Architecture for Adaptive HRI

   22 citations · 2022
6. 6
   Dancing With Parkinson's Disease: The SI-ROBOTICS Study Protocol

   17 citations · 2021
7. 7
   Toward AI-Enabled Commercial Telepresence Robots to Combine Home Care Needs and Affordability

   12 citations · 2023
8. 8
   Exploring Dance as a Therapeutic Approach for Parkinson Disease Through the Social Robotics for Active and Healthy Ageing (SI-Robotics): Results From a Technical Feasibility Study

   10 citations · 2025
9. 9
   A Two-Layered Approach to Adaptive Dialogues for Robotic Assistance

   10 citations · 2020
10. 10
    Engagement during Interaction with Assistive Robots

    6 citations · 2018

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links