Xela Indurkhya

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Xela Indurkhya is a leading voice in social robotics, with a focused expertise on designing and evaluating child–robot interactions in natural, unstructured environments. Her work is pivotal in moving human-robot interaction (HRI) research from controlled labs into the "wild," where robots must adapt to the unpredictable behaviors of children. Her most cited paper, "Robots Meet Children" (2019), with 19 citations, introduces semi-autonomous control systems that enable robots to gather richer quantitative and qualitative data during real-world interactions, a foundational contribution for designing more socially impactful robots. Indurkhya further advanced the field with her 2022 "Design Space Survey on Social Robotics in the Market," which systematically analyzed 40 commercial robots to map the current design landscape and market trends. Her 2024 work, "Lessons in Developing a Behavioral Coding Protocol," tackles a critical methodological challenge: analyzing child–robot interactions without relying on video recordings. By developing a vocalization-based protocol, she has provided researchers with a robust tool for studies in settings where video is restricted, opening new avenues for ethical and practical HRI research. Indurkhya’s contributions are essential for anyone designing robots that must genuinely connect with and learn from children in everyday life.