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About

Jacques Terken is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-computer interaction, social robotics, and multimodal communication. His research explores how people interact with intelligent systems, particularly robotic interfaces, with a focus on personality design, user control, and natural communication cues. Among his most significant contributions is his investigation into how robot personality shapes user experience. His studies on the iCat robotic TV assistant — examining what personalities users prefer and how those preferences relate to desired levels of control — have become foundational references in social robotics design, accumulating nearly 40 citations. This line of work helped establish that personality is not merely aesthetic but functionally influences the human-robot relationship. Terken has also advanced understanding of multimodal communication in triadic settings, exploring how observable behavioral cues determine addressee-hood when humans interact with both other people and artificial agents simultaneously. His later work extended into automotive contexts, examining how robotic companions can engage child passengers and support safer family driving experiences. Collectively, Terken's research has meaningfully shaped how designers and engineers think about social, communicative, and personality-driven dimensions of human-robot interaction, offering practical frameworks that remain relevant as conversational and robotic interfaces become increasingly embedded in everyday life.