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About

Maurizio Mancini is a human-computer interaction researcher whose work sits at a compelling intersection of social robotics, nonverbal communication, and everyday human experience. He is best known for pioneering the concept of "artificial commensal companions" — interactive robots and technologies designed to replicate the social and psychological benefits of eating with others for people who dine alone. His foundational 2020 papers introduced this research agenda, establishing both theoretical frameworks and early experimental evidence, while his 2022 work further explored how social robots might serve as genuine eating companions. Together, these studies have accumulated over 40 citations, signaling growing scholarly interest in this emerging field. Earlier in his career, Mancini investigated gesture mimicry and laughter in social signaling, contributing to the design of more naturalistic robot and virtual agent behaviors. His most recent work (2025) advances the field toward practical implementation, examining multimodal robotic interactions during mealtimes and identifying user preferences and concerns. Across his research, Mancini consistently champions the idea that technology can meaningfully address social isolation — making his work as relevant to public health and wellbeing as it is to robotics and HCI design.