Bhavana Vaddadi

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Bhavana Vaddadi investigates the intersection of social robotics and autonomous public transport, focusing on how robots can fill the human gap in driverless vehicles. Her work addresses a critical challenge: as autonomous buses remove human drivers or clerks, passengers may feel unsafe or insecure in these shared, intimate spaces. In a pioneering 2023 field trial in Stockholm, Sweden, Vaddadi deployed social robots as hosts in autonomous buses, studying their effects on passengers’ sense of safety and security. Her most-cited paper (5 citations) from 2024, *“Robots in autonomous buses: Who hosts when no human is there?”*, explores the nuanced role of robots in mitigating social discomfort. A follow-up 2025 study (2 citations) deepens this inquiry, examining how robot hosts can manage passenger dynamics in smaller, more vulnerable transit settings. Vaddadi’s work is notable for its real-world experimental approach, directly addressing a pressing societal need as autonomous public transport expands. Her research not only advances human-robot interaction theory but also offers practical insights for designing safer, more welcoming autonomous transit experiences.