UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
		 COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

			      presents

		      "Do We Want Social Robots?
	   Hard Problems in Human-Robot Interaction Research"

		       Prof. Kerstin Dautenhahn
		     (Adaptive Systems Research Group,
		      University of Hertfordshire)


		       7 November 2007 (Wednesday)

			  Lecture Theatre E350
		       Hatfield, College Lane Campus
			       3 - 4 pm

	       Coffee/tea and biscuits will be available.

		    Everyone is Welcome to Attend



Abstract:

Human-robot Interaction is a very active and growing area of research,
and the research team at the University of Hertfordshire is currently
involved in three European robotics projects: Cogniron, Robotcub and
IROMEC. The research carried out in these projects ranges from basic
research into how a robot can develop cognitive and interaction skills
(Robotcub) to studies into companion robots that may be of assistance
in the home (Cogniron), or a companion robot as a toy that may mediate
between children who otherwise may not be able to play (assistive
technology, IROMEC). Human-robot interaction involves often hard
technological problems in terms of developing robots that can actually
exhibit a variety of behaviour and carry out tasks relevant to their
application. However, another important aspect concerns the
"user-perspective", i.e. the view, attitudes and perceptions of a
person who interacts with the robot. Interactive robots are different
from traditional machines or tools such as toasters or cars. And they
In my talk I will highlight a few general issues that any human-robot
interaction researcher faces. These concern a) the nature of social
intelligence, in primates and robots, b) the notion of a "social" robot
with implications in different application areas, c) different
metaphors on how people may want to relate to social robots, and, last
by not least, d) methodological challenges and open problems in this
highly interdisciplinary field.

Selected references:

-K. Dautenhahn (2007) Socially intelligent robots: dimensions of human
- robot interaction, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences, 362(1480):679-704.

-K. Dautenhahn (2007) Methodology and Themes of Human-Robot
Interaction: A Growing Research Field. International Journal of
Advanced Robotic Systems 4(1):103-108
http://www.ars-journal.com/International-Journal-of-Advanced-Robotic-Systems/Volume-4/ISSN-1729-8806-4114.pdf

-K. Dautenhahn (1995), Getting to know each other - artificial social
intelligence for autonomous robots, Robotics and Autonomous Systems 
16:333-356

Speaker's homepage:
Kerstin Dautenhahn, Professor of Artificial Intelligence
http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~comqkd/



--------------------------------------------------
Hertfordshire Computer Science Research Colloquium
http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~nehaniv/colloq