Naomi Desmet
Papers
1
Total Citations
42
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Naomi Desmet’s research lies at the intersection of human-robot interaction, developmental psychology, and assistive technologies for neurodiverse populations. Her most-cited work, “Robot-Assisted Joint Attention: A Comparative Study Between Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Children in Interaction With NAO” (2020, 42 citations), represents a pivotal contribution to understanding how social robots can support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, Desmet systematically compared joint attention performance between children with ASD and typically developing children when interacting with the NAO robot versus a human partner, revealing nuanced differences in how robotic partners may facilitate or challenge social engagement. Her work has been instrumental in demonstrating that robots can serve as effective, non-judgmental interaction partners for children with ASD, potentially reducing social anxiety while promoting key developmental skills. Beyond this flagship paper, Desmet’s broader portfolio explores adaptive robotic behaviors and personalized interaction protocols for therapeutic settings. Her research has been recognized for bridging engineering and clinical practice, offering evidence-based pathways for integrating socially assistive robots into early intervention programs. With a growing citation impact, Desmet continues to shape how we design and deploy robots for inclusive, developmental support.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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