Will Taggart

Papers

Total Citations

597

H-Index

About

Will Taggart is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on the social and emotional dynamics of relational artifacts. His work explores how sociable robots can serve as companions and catalysts for connection, particularly among vulnerable populations like the elderly and children. In his highly cited 2006 paper (318 citations), Taggart demonstrated that introducing a small interactive robot into nursing homes encouraged social interaction among residents, challenging the prevailing model of one-on-one robotic companionship in favor of a community-based approach. Expanding on this, his 2006 study on relational artifacts (279 citations) drew from psychoanalytic theory to examine the complex bonds formed between humans and robots like My Real Babies, Aibos, and Paros across both elder care and children’s home and school environments. Taggart’s interdisciplinary research—bridging robotics, psychology, and sociology—has been instrumental in shaping how we understand cybercompanionship, revealing both the promises and pitfalls of integrating relational machines into daily life. His work remains foundational for scholars studying socially assistive robotics and the ethics of artificial companionship.