WORKSHOP 4: Re-Configuring HRI - Part 2: The Mutual Shaping of (Social) Robots and (Social) Institutions

Organizers

Antonia Krummheuer, Aalborg University, Denmark

Antonia Krummheuer is associate professor at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Aalborg University.  

Andreas Bischoff, University of Technology Chemnitz, Germany

Andreas Bischof leads an interdisciplinary research group at Chemnitz University of Technology and collaborates with researchers and practitioners from Media and Communication, Human-Machine Interaction, Sociology, Media Informatics, Design, Science and Technology Studies and Socio-Gerontology.  

Matthias Rehm, Aalborg University, Denmark

Matthias Rehm is a professor at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design at AAU. He is the head of the Human Machine Interaction group and the coordinator of the interdisciplinary HRI lab at AAU.

Eva Hornecker, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany

Eva Hornecker is a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. She currently leads a project exploring alternative visions for care robotics following an open-ended, design-driven approach

Abstract

The workshop is a second in a row in which we gather and discuss interdisciplinary approaches on reconfiguring HRI. We will present and discuss new paradigms for HRI that enrich our understanding of the complex and mutual construction of (social) robots, socio-technical practices and (social) institutions. In doing so, we aim a) to cross the boundaries of divergent disciplines such as engineering, design, philosophy and sociology, and b) to cross the boundaries of HRI in development and HRI in (social) institutions. These endeavors are not new. However, we aim for approaching new theoretical and empirical paradigms for HRI more systematically. This workshop on Re-configuring HRI will critically reflect on those boundaries and provide new methodological impulses to overcome them. 


Speakers

Antonia Krummheuer, Aalborg University, Denmark

Antonia Krummheuer is associate professor at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Aalborg University.  

Andreas Bischoff, University of Technology Chemnitz, Germany

Andreas Bischof leads an interdisciplinary research group at Chemnitz University of Technology and collaborates with researchers and practitioners from Media and Communication, Human-Machine Interaction, Sociology, Media Informatics, Design, Science and Technology Studies and Socio-Gerontology.  

Matthias Rehm, Aalborg University, Denmark

Matthias Rehm is a professor at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design at AAU. He is the head of the Human Machine Interaction group and the coordinator of the interdisciplinary HRI lab at AAU.

Eva Hornecker, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany

Eva Hornecker is a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. She currently leads a project exploring alternative visions for care robotics following an open-ended, design-driven approach

Towards Non-Dyadic HRIB building Robots for Institutions

In this presentation we develop our thoughts on “non-dyadic HRI”. We will argue that social robotics and HRI traditionally assume a dyadic interaction model with a focus on a single human that is interacting with a single robot. Considering that social robots should be used in social institutions including several human participants, this dyadic model does not match the needs of many institutional settings. In this presentation we will report our findings from two different contexts (therapeutic and care setting). We will demonstrate that a dyadic model fails to capture a) different participation roles that facilitate or engage in the interaction with the robot and b) the constructions of distributed agency which are relevant characteristics of interactions in such settings. We will end the presentation by discussing how this insight can be implemented in the development of social robots for institutional settings. 


Speakers

Sara Ljungblad, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

Sara Ljungblad is a senior lecturer at the University of Oslo and assistant professor at the Chalmers University of Technology. Her research interests is design methodology related to interaction design, inclusive design and robotics. 

Niamh Ni Bhroin, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Niam Ni Bhroin is a researcher and coordinator in the Children, youth, and media group at the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo. 

Sofia Serholt University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Sofia Serholt is a senior lecturer at the University of Gothenburg, Department of Applied IT, Division of Learning and IT. 

Mafalda Samuelsson Gamboa, University of Gothenborg, Sweden

Mafalda Samuelsson-Gamboa is a lecturer in Interaction Design at the University of Gothenburg. 

Is There A Need For Critical Robotics Research?

Abstract: Over several years, we have worked to develop the concept of critical robotics research. The concept aims to problematize the research in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) from humanistic and critical perspectives, an initiative aiming to reframe HRI research from an epistemological perspective. We will discuss the humanistic and critical dimensions of critical robotics and why we consider that a paradigm shift in the robotic field is needed. This discussion is urgent as robots and robotic solutions are increasingly introduced and integrated in expanding social domains and institutions. We would also like to discuss some background to the critical robotics movement, and present examples of research that take a critical robotics research perspective. 

Speaker

Kimmo Vänni, HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland

Kimmo Vänni is a principal research scientist the HAMK Smart Research Unit. His research focuses on social and assistive robotics and wearable intelligence. 

The Impacts of Society 5.0 On Human-Related Robots and HRI

Society is currently in a transition from the information society to a super-smart society which has been named tentatively Society 5.0. Society 5.0 is seamlessly combining the virtual world and the physical world, and it emphasizes artificial 
intelligence and human-centered robotics, which are becoming a relevant part of life at work, school, and leisure. There are several new research issues in HRI that need to be discussed when Society 5.0 is evolving; First, how to connect robots to data platforms for refining data to personalize services for different users and groups. Second, what signals should be detected and what kind of user interface is needed, especially if also wearable robots are considered. Finally, how the human centered design approach will be used in robot design.

Speaker

Matthias Rehm, Aalborg University, Denmark

Matthias Rehm is a professor at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design at AAU. He is the head of the Human Machine Interaction group and the coordinator of the interdisciplinary HRI lab at AAU.

The Emerging Role of HRI in Industry 5.0

The introduction of Industry 5.0 shifts the focus from automation and optimization of production process to resilience, sustainability and human-centeredness of these processes, aiming at empowering workers using digital devices and endorsing a human-centric approach to technology. This paradigm shift offers a window of opportunity to rethink the role of robotics in automation and envision HRI as a central component of collaborative work practices between human workers and robots. We are going to discuss three cases in relation to this vision: 1.) Robot driven ergonomic adaptation for production environments prone to repetitive stress injuries, 2.) Mobile robots in the hospital as an example for the need of going beyond a dyadic view of human robot interactions, 3.) Data driven HRI as a prerequisite for robotics that caters to diverse user groups.