Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Sarah Sebo is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), with a particular focus on how robots function within groups and teams. Her work has fundamentally expanded the field's understanding of robots not merely as tools responding to individual users, but as active social agents capable of reshaping human-to-human dynamics. Her highly cited papers — collectively accumulating over 700 citations — demonstrate that robots can influence trust, conformity, and inclusion within human teams in profound ways. Notably, her research on robot vulnerability revealed that when robots express uncertainty or admit mistakes, they can positively shape psychological safety and trust among human team members, findings with significant implications for organizational behavior and teamwork. Her investigations into social conformity showed that people adjust their views to align with robots, raising important ethical questions about robotic influence. Beyond team dynamics, Sebo has explored personalized robot tutoring, inclusive team design strategies, and even robots as icebreakers that foster meaningful human connections. Her 2024 framework of "interaction-shaping robotics" provides a cohesive theoretical lens for this body of work, cementing her as a leading voice defining how robots mediate and transform human social life.