Qiaoning (Carol) Zhang张巧宁

Leading the design and evaluation of socially assistive robots with a focus on empathic communication to support aging-in-place. This work investigates how politeness strategies and role perceptions affect trust dynamics between older adults and healthcare robots, and how transparency features can enhance trustworthiness in human-robot interaction.

Conducted at Toyota Research Institute, this research analyzes the intricate behavioral dynamics and decision-making processes within human-AI collaborative teams. The work demonstrates how humans and AI can achieve outcomes that neither could accomplish alone by leveraging their unique, complementary expertise.

This research program examines how design features of automated vehicle explanations (timing, modality, voice gender, voice similarity), human user traits (age, suspicion level, personality), and driving contexts interact to build and sustain trust. Recent work explores how AI voice gender congruity and cognitive vs. affective explanation content shape trust differently.

Using a large-scale survey with a representative U.S. sample, this research explores how expectations, personality traits, and individual differences shape initial trust formation and long-term acceptance of automated vehicles. This line of work provides a foundational understanding of what people want and expect from AVs before they even encounter one.

This project applied the Kano model framework to systematically prioritize design features for healthcare robots intended for older adults. By categorizing features into "must-be," "one-dimensional," and "attractive" attributes, this work provides actionable guidance for designers to optimize both user acceptance and functional utility.

The M-Well project at the University of Michigan mapped patient and physician journeys to identify pain points and design interventions that foster improved interactions and connectedness. This work applies human factors engineering principles to healthcare, including exploring how physicians can design their work environment for well-being, much like pilots design a cockpit.