Varun Dutt

Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Carnegie Mellon University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Varun Dutt’s research lies at the intersection of human-robot interaction, artificial intelligence, and cognitive modeling, with a focus on how social robots can serve practical, ethical, and psychological roles. His most cited work, “Assessing stress, anxiety, and depression with social robots via conversational AI” (2023, 9 citations), pioneers the use of social robots for mental health assessment in privacy-sensitive contexts—a critical step toward deploying empathetic AI in clinical and home settings. Earlier, Dutt contributed to military robotics with “Modeling a robotics operator manager in a tactical battlefield” (2011, 9 citations), where he designed and simulated a command role to coordinate multiple robotic assets, addressing a key gap in U.S. Army operations. More recently, his 2025 study “Exploring Moral Learning Through Bhagavad Gita” (3 citations) uniquely blends ancient philosophy with social robotics, comparing robot-led moral instruction to traditional reading. This cross-cultural, interdisciplinary approach highlights Dutt’s commitment to embedding ethical frameworks into AI. With over 20 publications and growing citation impact, Dutt is shaping how robots learn, teach, and care—bridging technology with human values.