Discover how research into nonverbal communication and robot-mediated interventions is helping children reach developmental milestones and improving well-being for all ages.

As robots appear in more everyday environments, they will have new opportunities to enhance the lives of the people around them.

One reason why this potential is exciting is that robots, compared to "non-embodied" technology solutions (such as a phone, smart watch, computer, or AI assistant), have been shown to be more motivating and peer-like. In challenging interaction scenarios such as encouraging physical activity or other healthy habits, this type of clout can make or break the success of a technology-based intervention.

Within the realm of robot-mediated interventions itself, many additional aspects of robotic system design merit further attention to enhance the potential for success. For example, robots' natural sound profiles often include flaws that repel users, and robots have a bad sense of humor.

Dr. Naomi T. Fitter's research group is dedicated to better understanding nonverbal (and comedy-based verbal) robot expression, and designing effective tools for improving and effectively leveraging these communication modalities.

To date, her research program has applied and thoroughly investigated one resulting family of assistive robots for early motor interventions in the child-robot interaction play domain.

Our research group observed that these robots can successfully teach and reinforce particular types of movement (such as a leg-extension kick that is important for taking one's first steps), in addition to encouraging more physical activity during free play sessions than other intervention approaches.

Dr. Fitter's ongoing and future research aims to create playful robotic systems to help people live healthier and happier lives in additional intervention scenarios, including interventions with older adult users and beyond.

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Speaker

Dr. Naomi T. Fitter is an Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University.

Her past degrees include a B.S. and B.A. in mechanical engineering and Spanish from the University of Cincinnati and an M.S.E. and Ph.D. in robotics and mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania, and she completed her postdoctoral work at the University of Southern California.

As a member of the Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CoRIS) Institute, Dr. Fitter aims to equip robots with the ability to engage and empower people in interactions from playful high-fives to challenging physical therapy routines. She received an NSF CAREER Award in 2025.