About the Institute

The Institute for Humane Robotics is an independent research and design institute focused on long-term human–robot interaction in domestic, caregiving, and child-facing contexts.

Our work bridges research, industry, and policy.

What We Do

We support teams building socially interactive robots across global markets.

Our work focuses on:

  • Cultural Localization & Social Fit:  Behavioral calibration and cultural adaptation across US, Japan, and Europe — ensuring robots are socially legible and accepted in context.
  • Trust & Boundary Architecture: Defining authority, autonomy, attachment, and long-term interaction constraints before deployment.
  • Regulatory & Standards Alignment: Early alignment with emerging governance frameworks and legal realities in embodied AI.
  • Ecosystem & Strategic Access: Connecting robotics teams to researchers, policymakers, and investors shaping deployment trajectories.

This is not speculative ethics.

It is decision support for real systems being built now.

Human and technology working together
Child learning and growing

Why This Matters

As robots move into human environments, technical performance alone will not determine success.

Cultural fit, social acceptance, and regulatory alignment will shape which systems scale - and which stall.

Early intervention is:

  • Less costly than redesign
  • User trust and long-term adoption
  • Cross-market deployment viability

Our role is to support that intervention.

Core Team

Sara Filipčić

Sara Filipčić

Founder & Executive Director

Entrepreneur with 8+ years building and advising startups across the US, Europe, and Australia. Expert on the impact of technology on child development and long-term human–machine interaction. Bridges research, industry, and policy to define responsible deployment strategies for embodied AI systems.

Roshni Lulla, PhD

Roshni Lulla, PhD

Head of Research

Dr. Roshni Lulla completed her PhD in Brain & Cognitive Sciences under Antonio Damasio and Jonas Kaplan at USC. Her research decodes the neural basis of empathy using neuroimaging, and her recent work demonstrates how frontier AI models adopt stable antisocial personas - bridging affective neuroscience and AI alignment to inform how machines should relate to humans.

Philip Cherner

Philip Cherner

Co-Founder & Technical Lead

MIT Media Lab engineer specializing in embodied AI, robotics, and human-centered autonomy. Brings deep expertise in AI systems design, safety architecture, and real-world deployment of autonomous systems

Who We Engage With

We engage with:

  • Robotics companies and research labs
  • Standards and policy bodies
  • Academic and public-interest institutions

Engagements are selective and purpose-driven.

Begin with the framework

For teams, researchers, or institutions working on embodied AI and social robotics — sign up and we'll send the framework when it's ready.