Award-winning research advancing human-robot interaction standards

A recent publication co-authored by Prof. Giulia Barbareschi has received an Honorable Mention Award at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) 2026.

The conference, held in Edinburgh, is one of the world’s leading venues for research on how humans and robots interact. It brings together experts from computer science, robotics, psychology, and design to shape the future of intelligent systems in real-world environments.

The awarded paper, titled The RUSH Checklist: A Standardized Framework for Reporting User Studies in Human-Robot Interaction, was developed by an international team of researchers from academia, industry, and government institutions across multiple countries. Their shared goal: improving how research in human-robot interaction is conducted, reported, and ultimately understood.

At its core, the paper addresses a key challenge in the field. Many studies involving human interaction with robots lack consistent and transparent reporting, making it difficult to compare results, replicate findings, or translate research into practice. As highlighted in the study, important details–such as participant characteristics, study design, or evaluation methods–are often missing or incomplete .

To tackle this issue, the team developed the RUSH Checklist (Reporting User Studies in Human-Robot Interaction)–a standardized framework based on input from 34 international experts. The checklist defines what should be reported in studies to ensure greater transparency, reproducibility, and scientific rigor. In total, it covers over 100 reporting elements across areas such as study design, ethics, data collection, and analysis .

This work goes beyond methodological refinement. By strengthening how research is documented and shared, it helps ensure that innovations in robotics and AI can be more reliably evaluated–and more effectively applied in real-world contexts.

For RC Trust, this recognition highlights the importance of interdisciplinary and international collaboration in advancing trustworthy and human-centered technologies. Giulia Barbareschi’s contribution reflects a broader commitment to inclusive, responsible innovation – ensuring  that technological systems are not only powerful, but also transparent, accessible, and grounded in real human needs.

The award underscores a simple but crucial idea:
Better research standards lead to better technologies–and ultimately, to more inclusive societies.

Note: The paper was developed by an international team of researchers, highlighting the collaborative nature of the work, including Shruti Chandra, Katie Seaborn, Giulia Barbareschi, Wing-Yue Geoffrey Louie, Shelly Bagchi, Sara Cooper, Zhao Han, and Daniel Tozadore.

The publication is available as Open Access.