Simone de Droog
Associate professor Child Technology Interaction - Expert child-technology interaction, social robotics, digital characters and interaction design for healthcare and education
Simone de Droog is Associate Professor of Child Technology at the Digital Life research group. Her work focuses on how technologies — such as social robots and digital characters — can positively and sustainably support children's development and wellbeing.
Expertises
Child–technology interaction | Social robotics | Digital characters | Interaction design | Healthcare & education | Adaptive interventions | Design principles | Interdisciplinary collaboration
Contact
- Email: [email protected]
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/smdedroog (opens in new window)
About Simone de Droog
As of 1 September 2024, Dr. Simone de Droog has been appointed Associate Professor of Child Technology at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. At the Digital Life research group, she conducts practice-based research into the meaningful interaction between children and technology — especially social robots and digital characters — in the fields of education and healthcare.
Her research focuses on generating transferable knowledge that transcends specific technologies or age groups, ensuring long-term relevance. This is essential in a fast-evolving technological landscape and in addressing societal challenges that require flexible, adaptive interventions.
Simone aims to define design principles for sustainable interventions and build a research infrastructure that evolves alongside new insights. She works with a wide range of stakeholders, including schools, hospitals, robot companies, and academic institutions such as Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.
Beyond research, she is actively building a strong interdisciplinary network to link research, education, and practice. Her ambition is to create a practical and evidence-based framework that helps shape the future of child–technology interaction.
Additional roles
- Collaborator, Social AI group (Vrije Universiteit)
- Research affiliate, Smart Systems for Healthy Living (HU)