Robo-Identity

An emerging concept in human-robot interaction research referring to the identity or persona a robot takes on, as perceived and co-constructed by the people it interacts with. Robo-identity is not a fixed property of the robot itself but is negotiated dynamically through appearance, voice, behaviour, and social context, and it can shift across activities (e.g. from playmate to learning facilitator). Designing for robo-identity is particularly important when robots are used by disabled or neurodivergent users, whose expectations and relational framings may differ substantially from neurotypical reference users.