Papers
24
Total Citations
335
H-Index
9
About
Elmira Yadollahi is a prominent researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), child-robot collaboration, and social robotics, whose work sits at the intersection of educational technology, cognitive science, and robot design. Her most-cited contribution, a comprehensive scoping review of a decade of human-NAO robot interaction research (99 citations), synthesized findings from approximately 300 studies and stands as an essential reference for the HRI community. Yadollahi has made significant strides in educational robotics, investigating how robots can serve as learning companions for children — particularly in literacy and handwriting development. Her studies on deictic gestures in child-robot reading scenarios (61 citations) revealed nuanced ways robot behavior can either support or hinder collaboration. She extended this work to special education, designing haptic-enabled tangible robot activities for children with attention and visuomotor challenges. Beyond the classroom, Yadollahi has explored how media shapes public perception of robots, examined multisensory emotional communication in avatars, and advanced explainability frameworks for human-robot collaboration. Her interdisciplinary research consistently bridges theory and real-world application, making her a compelling voice in the future of socially intelligent robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 110 Years of Human-NAO Interaction Research: A Scoping Review99 citations · 2021
- 2When deictic gestures in a robot can harm child-robot collaboration61 citations · 2018
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- 4Bringing letters to life23 citations · 2018
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- 8Explainability for Human-Robot Collaboration10 citations · 2024
- 9Can you guide me?9 citations · 2020
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