Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Photchara Ratsamee is a researcher whose work sits at the dynamic intersection of human-robot interaction, human-drone interaction (HDI), and autonomous navigation systems. With a body of work accumulating over 260 citations, Ratsamee has made significant contributions to how robots and drones perceive, interpret, and respond to human behavior in shared environments. Early in their career, Ratsamee pioneered the integration of social cues — particularly face orientation and body pose — into robot navigation models, producing influential work on collision avoidance that garnered over 50 citations each. These studies introduced modified social force models that enabled robots to move naturally and predictably alongside humans, laying important groundwork for socially aware robotics. Ratsamee's research subsequently expanded into the emerging field of human-drone interaction, with notable contributions including the concept of a "Social Drone Companion" (61 citations) and gesture-based drone targeting. Their work on adaptive view management for drone teleoperation in complex 3D environments demonstrates a strong applied focus, addressing real-world challenges in infrastructure inspection — including a hybrid flying-walking robot designed for steel bridge maintenance. Across all these areas, Ratsamee's research consistently prioritizes making autonomous systems safer, more intuitive, and more socially compatible with human users.