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About

Maria Luce Lupetti is a researcher working at the intersection of design, human-robot interaction (HRI), and artificial intelligence, whose work has fundamentally challenged how the field conceptualizes and creates robots. Her most influential contributions advocate for recognizing design as a legitimate epistemological discipline within HRI, arguing in her highly cited "Designerly Ways of Knowing in HRI" (2021, 57 citations) that user studies alone insufficiently capture the knowledge design produces. Lupetti has pioneered the use of metaphors, resonance, and creative AI as generative design strategies, helping researchers escape entrenched assumptions about what robots should look like or do. Her 2021 "Collection of Metaphors for Human-Robot Interaction" (49 citations) encourages roboticists to embrace imperfection rather than pursue unrealistic ideals. Early in her career, she explored socially meaningful applications of robotics, including telepresence systems enabling museum access for mobility-impaired visitors (2015, 27 citations) and playful learning robots for children. Her ongoing work on intermediate-level knowledge and strong concepts pushes HRI toward richer, theory-building artefact research. Across her portfolio, Lupetti consistently elevates design thinking as essential to creating robots that genuinely resonate with human experience.