Nicole Novielli

Papers

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About

Nicole Novielli’s research lies at the intersection of human-computer interaction, affective computing, and social robotics, with a focus on designing natural, empathetic interfaces for ambient intelligence. Her work explores how embodied conversational agents (ECAs) and social robots can interpret and respond to human social cues, enabling more intuitive access to smart environments. A key contribution is her experimental study on integrating ECAs into smart home services, demonstrating how these agents can foster user trust and engagement through socially aware interaction. Novielli also developed the NICA (Natural Interaction with a Caring Agent) framework, which models how agents can recognize users’ social attitudes—such as politeness or frustration—in real-time dialogue. This work, though early in her career, has laid groundwork for adaptive, emotionally intelligent systems. Her most cited paper (14 citations) on social robots and ECAs for smart environments has influenced subsequent research in assistive robotics and context-aware computing. By bridging affective state recognition with natural language and gesture, Novielli’s research advances the goal of creating machines that interact with people not just as tools, but as socially competent partners.