Silvia Annunziata

About

Silvia Annunziata is a researcher at the forefront of assistive robotics and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) intervention, dedicated to harnessing technology to improve therapeutic outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Her work centers on the design and evaluation of social robotic systems that enhance traditional therapies, with a particular focus on developing algorithms for gesture recognition, joint attention classification, and imitation-based learning within robotic therapy frameworks. Annunziata's most impactful contribution is her comprehensive scoping review on robotics applications for ASD — currently the largest of its kind in the field — which has garnered 26 citations and serves as an essential reference for researchers and clinicians alike. Her gesture recognition algorithm for ASD robot therapy (28 citations) has become her most widely recognized work, demonstrating how machine learning can be meaningfully integrated into therapeutic settings. Through projects like IOGIOCO, she has translated these technical advances into real-world pilot studies with preschool children, exploring intransitive gestures and mirroring games as pathways to social skill development. With a growing citation record and interdisciplinary approach bridging robotics, cognitive science, and pediatric therapy, Annunziata represents an exciting emerging voice in socially assistive robotics research.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A gesture recognition algorithm in a robot therapy for ASD children

   28 citations · 2022
2. 2
   Applications of Robotics for Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Scoping Review

   26 citations · 2023
3. 3
   Interactive mirrOring Games wIth sOCial rObot (IOGIOCO): a pilot study on the use of intransitive gestures in a sample of Italian preschool children with autism spectrum disorder

   7 citations · 2024
4. 4
   Sharing Worlds: Design of a Real-Time Attention Classifier for Robotic Therapy of ASD Children

   6 citations · 2022
5. 5
   Development of an Interactive Total Body Robot Enhanced Imitation Therapy for ASD children

   5 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links