UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
             COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

                            presents

     
	"Social robotics to improve the quality of life of older adults"
	

                Prof. Álvaro Castro Gonzalez
              (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

                        28 January 2025
                         13:00 -14:00 
                          Room SP1006

                  Everyone is Welcome to Attend
				  Refreshments will be provided
				  
				                               

Abstract:

Population aging poses pressing social and healthcare challenges, calling for innovative, scalable solutions that go beyond traditional care models. Social robots have emerged as a promising technology to enhance the quality of life of older adults by providing companionship, cognitive stimulation, and support for daily activities. This talk explores the potential of social robots as assistive partners for aging populations, focusing on their capacity to promote autonomy, emotional well-being, and social engagement. I will describe the key technologies that have been developed at Robotics Lab from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid to make these applications possible, including human–robot interaction, social perception, machine learning, and adaptive decision-making. Through concrete examples, I will illustrate how social robots can support older adults in areas such as cognitive training, physical activation, assistance, and the reduction of loneliness, both in domestic settings and in care institutions. These results show of the potential benefits of social robots, while also highlighting the technical and societal challenges that remain in supporting active and healthy aging.


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Hertfordshire Computer Science Research Colloquium
http://cs-colloq.cs.herts.ac.uk