Marie-Claude Lebret

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Dr. Marie-Claude Lebret is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-animal interaction and assistive robotics, best known for her visionary work on the COCHISE Project—a groundbreaking initiative that reimagines the service dog as an augmented, technologically-enhanced companion for disabled individuals. Her research uniquely bridges ethology, robotics, and human-centered design, exploring how dogs, humans, and robots can collaborate in novel assistive scenarios. Lebret’s most cited paper, "COCHISE Project: An Augmented Service Dog for Disabled People" (2013, 5 citations), challenges the limitations of autonomous robots by leveraging the innate skills of trained dogs, augmented with wearable sensors and communication devices, to provide more adaptive and emotionally supportive assistance. Her 2011 French-language paper further examines co-evolutionary dynamics between humans and canines, proposing new collaborative frameworks for assistance. Though her citation counts are modest, Lebret’s work is notable for its conceptual boldness and interdisciplinary scope, offering a humane alternative to fully automated care systems. She has been a vocal advocate for integrating animal cognition into assistive technology design, making her a distinctive voice in the field of human-robot interaction and disability studies.