Andrea Hildebrandt

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Andrea Hildebrandt is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction and social robotics, with a core focus on how people emotionally perceive and accept autonomous flying systems. Her most-cited work, "Drone in Love: Emotional Perception of Facial Expressions on Flying Robots" (2021, 60 citations), fundamentally challenges the assumption that drones are purely functional tools. By demonstrating that equipping drones with dynamic facial expressions can evoke emotional responses and improve social acceptance, Hildebrandt opened a new frontier in "social drone" design. Her contributions show that a drone’s perceived sociability—not just its utility—is critical for integration into human spaces. This work has influenced both roboticists designing companion drones and psychologists studying human-animate machine trust. Hildebrandt’s research bridges engineering and cognitive science, offering compelling evidence that even flying robots can benefit from emotionally expressive interfaces. Her findings are increasingly cited in studies on autonomous vehicle acceptance and public attitudes toward aerial robotics, cementing her role as a key voice in shaping how we design robots that truly coexist with us.