Rethinking Robotics: Exploring Soft and Social Robots

The typical image of a robot is one that clangs and bangs, made up of motors, gears and linkages and can perform programmed tasks over millions of cycles with high precision. However there are some challenges with using these rigid robots for for safe robot-human interactions. However, due to their intrinsic nature, soft machines can directly interact with their surrounding environments with high safety. I will cover the benefits of soft machines and other research we are doing at the University of Glasgow in this area.

As we consider a future where social robots can have a positive impact on people, it is increasingly important to deploy them in real-world environments where people can experience these systems first-hand. In this talk, I will share my pioneering research on human-robot interaction, which aims to create social robots with practical applications that bring benefits to people and address technology inclusion in developing countries. Furthermore, I will discuss the social, technical, and practical challenges of deploying social robots in the wild and conducting user studies.

Nowadays, more and more refugees and asylum seekers are knocking on Britain's door. Unfortunately, there aren't enough social workers to care for them all, and although NGOs are stepping up to fill the void, that's simply not enough. In this talk, I will present a social robot, which may prove to be a good addition to the social workers. It would help parents with information about daycare, or print out forms they need to fill out for their visa application. Either way, it will make them feel welcome in a new foreign country by speaking their native language and catering to their needs.