Gaetano Ciaravella

Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Center for Micro-BioRobotics

Papers

Total Citations

156

H-Index

About

Gaetano Ciaravella is a robotics researcher whose work explores the intersection of human-robot interaction, social acceptability, and novel locomotion systems. His most influential contribution, the 2010 study "How safe are service robots in urban environments? Bullying a robot," has garnered 143 citations, making it a seminal reference in the field. This behavioral study, conducted during a public demonstration in South Korea, directly observed how people interact with robots in uncontrolled urban settings, revealing critical insights into robot social acceptability and safety. Ciaravella’s findings highlight the challenges of deploying service robots in public spaces, where they may face harassment or "bullying" from humans. Beyond social robotics, he has also contributed to robotic locomotion, notably with a paper on an inline skating motion generator for small humanoid robots, which addresses the inefficiency of bipedal walking on even surfaces. Additionally, his work on a vestibular interface for natural steering control in robotic artifacts demonstrates his interest in intuitive human-robot control systems. Through these diverse contributions, Ciaravella has advanced our understanding of how robots can safely and effectively integrate into human environments, influencing both design and policy in urban robotics.