Sandra Devin

About

Sandra Devin is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, specializing in equipping robots with the cognitive and social skills needed for seamless collaboration. Her work centers on developing a "Theory of Mind" for robots—the ability to infer and reason about a human partner’s beliefs, intentions, and knowledge during shared tasks. Her most influential paper, "An implemented theory of mind to improve human-robot shared plans execution" (126 citations), demonstrates how this capability allows robots to adapt to human initiative, such as temporary absences or inattention, by proactively adjusting shared plans. Devin also explores robot self-awareness, arguing in a highly cited 2018 paper (99 citations) that robots must move beyond executing tasks to understanding the meaning behind their actions. To evaluate the quality of robot decisions in joint actions, she developed the PeRDITA questionnaire, a tool for assessing human perception of robot pertinence. Her work bridges robotics, psychology, and philosophy, offering a foundational framework for creating truly collaborative autonomous systems that anticipate and respond to human needs.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   An implemented theory of mind to improve human-robot shared plans execution

   126 citations · 2016
2. 2
   Toward Self-Aware Robots

   99 citations · 2018
3. 3
   An Implemented Theory of Mind to Improve Human-Robot Shared Plans Execution

   79 citations · 2016
4. 4
   About Decisions During Human-Robot Shared Plan Achievement: Who Should Act and How?

   25 citations · 2017
5. 5
   Evaluating the Pertinence of Robot Decisions in a Human-Robot Joint Action Context: The PeRDITA Questionnaire

   6 citations · 2018
6. 6
   Integration of Action, Joint Action and Learning in Robot Cognitive Architectures

   3 citations · 2016
7. 7
   Some essential skills and their combination in an architecture for a cognitive and interactive robot

   3 citations · 2016

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links