Robotics: Make your self at home.
Robots have been a common sight in many industrial settings since the first ones entered space more than 60 years ago, but it has taken some time for them to enter homes. About 20 years after the first robotic vacuum cleaners entered homes, 28% of respondents to a recent UK-RAS Network study stated that robots are now occasionally present in their daily life. 13% of respondents claim they are thoroughly assimilated into daily life. But home robots are capable of far more than just mopping floors. For those with dementia or restricted mobility, social and assistive robots can provide companionship and assistance around the house, which could completely change their lives.
In a unique study facility called the Robot House at the University of Hertfordshire, Patrick Holthaus studies how robots can socially engage with humans by allowing them to interact with one another. His research focuses on non-verbal cues such as body language, gestures, and eye contact and how these affect how people perceive and interact with assistive and companion robots in society. In addition, he oversees and provides guidance to other house guests while managing the robots and any interactive technology in the house.
Whether it’s more established digital tools like the cell phone or upcoming technology like artificial intelligence, technology can be a major force for change. It is changing how the economy, governments, corporations, and civil society interact, and it is a crucial instrument in rebalancing our societal, economic, and environmental priorities.
However, digital is quickly replacing traditional measures of inclusion and exclusion on a worldwide scale. With 37% of the world’s population still not online, the digital divide—particularly the lack of readily available broadband, skill gaps, and the exclusion of minority populations from technology—has emerged as a major obstacle for countries hoping to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the world’s increasingly digital economy.
At the University of Nottingham, Praminda Caleb-Solly is a professor of embodied intelligence and the director of the research team for assistive robotics and cyber-physical health. She oversaw research in assistive robotics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory for more than ten years prior to joining Nottingham. She co-founded Robotics for Good CIC in 2020, a start-up that provides “robots as a service” and is now assisting with the implementation of technology that requires.
