Pieter Wolfert
Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, Tilburg University, iMinds
Papers
6
Total Citations
41
H-Index
5
About
Pieter Wolfert is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on social robotics, nonverbal communication, and the ethical implications of persuasive technology. His work explores how robots can use gestures, speech, and visual context to engage people—particularly children—in healthcare and educational settings. In a highly cited 2020 study, Wolfert examined the security risks of social robots being hacked to manipulate users, raising critical ethical questions. He also developed a large dataset of human gestures through a playful charades game with a humanoid robot, enabling robots to learn and produce gestures naturally. His research on emotional gesturing in socially assistive robots showed significant improvements in children's engagement during group vaccinations. Wolfert has also pioneered data-driven methods for generating visually grounded conversation starters, and investigated the limitations of audiovisual speech in robots for second-language learning. With over 40 citations across his most-cited works, Wolfert's contributions are shaping safer, more intuitive, and socially aware robotic systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Security Risks of Social Robots Used to Persuade and Manipulate10 citations · 2020
- 2Should Beat Gestures Be Learned Or Designed? : A Benchmarking User Study8 citations · 2019
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