Theodore Goulas

About

Theodore Goulas is a researcher specializing in human-robot interaction (HRI), assistive robotics, and multimodal communication modeling, with a particular focus on developing intelligent systems to support elderly and mobility-impaired users. His work is most prominently associated with the MOBOT project, a European initiative to create cognitive robotic assistants — specifically rollator-type mobility devices — capable of proactively and adaptively interacting with older adults experiencing walking and cognitive difficulties. Goulas has made significant contributions to the design of multimodal HRI communication frameworks, integrating verbal and non-verbal behavior analysis to enable robots to interpret and respond to human actions in context. His development of the MOBOT human-robot communication model and its accompanying dataset annotation scheme laid critical groundwork for training and evaluating assistive robot prototypes. He has also advanced user-centered design methodologies, carrying lessons from MOBOT into subsequent platforms such as i-Walk. His research has garnered over 80 citations across his most notable publications, with his 2016 paper on the MOBOT rollator interaction model being his most impactful work. Goulas's research stands at the intersection of robotics, accessibility, and human-computer interaction, making meaningful strides toward practical, user-validated assistive technologies.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   The MOBOT rollator human-robot interaction model and user evaluation process

   23 citations · 2016
2. 2
   The MOBOT Platform – Showcasing Multimodality in Human-Assistive Robot Interaction

   15 citations · 2016
3. 3
   User Evaluation of the MOBOT Rollator Type Robotic Mobility Assistive Device

   13 citations · 2017
4. 4
   User centered design in practice

   12 citations · 2019
5. 5
   The MOBOT human-robot communication model

   10 citations · 2015
6. 6
   User Evaluation of the MOBOT rollator type robotic mobility assistive device

   7 citations · 2017
7. 7
   The MOBOT Human-Robot Interaction

   4 citations · 2016
8. 8
   The annotation scheme of the MOBOT dataset

   3 citations · 2014
9. 9
   Multimodal Resources for Human-Robot Communication Modelling

   2 citations · 2016

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links