Philipp Huzel

Papers

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About

Philipp Huzel is a researcher at the forefront of human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on the psychological and social dimensions of verbal communication with embodied AI. His work explores how anthropomorphism—the tendency to attribute human-like qualities to robots—shapes user trust, comfort, and perceptions of voice quality during spoken interactions. In his most-cited paper, "Trust, (Dis)Comfort, and Voice Quality: Anthropomorphism in Verbal Interactions with NAO" (2024), Huzel systematically investigates how varying degrees of human-like behavior in the NAO robot influence users' emotional responses and the perceived naturalness of dialogue. This study provides critical insights for designing more effective and socially acceptable robotic companions, particularly in contexts requiring sustained verbal engagement, such as education or healthcare. Though early in his career, Huzel’s work has already garnered attention for its rigorous experimental design and its implications for the ethical deployment of social robots. By bridging cognitive science and robotics, he is helping to define how machines can communicate in ways that feel both trustworthy and comfortable, advancing the field toward more nuanced, human-centered artificial intelligence.