Neelu Gurung

Papers

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About

Dr. Neelu Gurung is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on the psychological and perceptual dimensions of collaborative robotics. Her work bridges engineering and social science, exploring how robot design—particularly appearance and speech—shapes human trust, comfort, and impression formation. In her highly cited 2021 paper, “Feeling Safe” (8 citations), Dr. Gurung critically examines the gap between built-in safety features in collaborative robots and the subjective experience of safety in public settings, arguing that perceived safety is as vital as technical safety. Her 2023 study, “The Uncanny Effect of Speech” (6 citations), breaks new ground by demonstrating how a robot’s vocal qualities and visual fidelity interact to influence human perceptions, revealing that speech can amplify or mitigate the uncanny valley effect. These contributions have made her a sought-after voice in designing socially acceptable robots for real-world deployment. Dr. Gurung’s work is essential reading for students and researchers aiming to create robots that are not only safe but also feel safe to the people who share their spaces.