Mark Levine
University of Exeter, Lancaster University, The Open University
Papers
8
Total Citations
74
H-Index
4
About
Mark Levine is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction, autonomous systems, and responsible innovation. His scholarship spans the psychological dimensions of robotics, the governance of emerging technologies, and the engineering of socially aware autonomous systems. Levine's most influential contribution, "Overcoming the Uncanny Valley" (2016, 37 citations), offers a striking empirical insight: the eeriness people feel toward highly humanlike robots stems from heightened mortality salience, and crucially, adding emotional displays to robots can alleviate this discomfort — a finding with significant implications for robot design. Complementing this, his "in the wild" usability study of humanoid robot avatars examined tele-operation from both operator and interlocutor perspectives. More recently, Levine has pioneered the integration of social identity theory into autonomous systems, exploring how drones and rescue robots can better coordinate with humans during emergencies by detecting and responding to group identity cues. His IDEA architecture and related drone coordination work reflect this agenda. He has also advanced participatory methods for responsible innovation, notably employing LEGO® Serious Play® to engage stakeholders in shaping robotic care systems. Across his career, Levine's research consistently asks how autonomous technologies can be made more human-aware, ethical, and socially responsive.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Using LEGO® SERIOUS® Play with stakeholders for RRI12 citations · 2022
- 3The IDEA of Us: An Identity-Aware Architecture for Autonomous Systems7 citations · 2024
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- 7Humanoid robot avatars: An ‘in the wild’ usability study3 citations · 2016
- 8What do you want from me?2 citations · 2022