As humans and robots interact more, eye contact plays a powerful role. It’s more than a gesture – it shapes how we connect and communicate. And as we age, science may offer new ways to keep those social instincts sharp.
A new study reveals something surprising: not just eye contact, but how and when we make it shapes communication. This discovery matters for humans, robots, and the spaces where both interact.
The research was led by Dr. Nathan Caruana, a cognitive neuroscientist in the HAVIC Lab at Flinders University.
Dr. Caruana’s team observed how people communicated during tasks with a virtual partner. The goal was to uncover patterns in gaze that signaled help or intent.
The researchers asked 137 participants to perform a block-building task with a virtual partner. Throughout the task, the experts watched eye movements closely. They studied not just where people looked, but why, when, and in what order.
Hellbound and Down 