The Psychological and Social Dimensions of Human-Robot Interaction

The application of robotics in many areas of our daily lives is one of the most significant changes in recent years. Robotic technologies are increasingly being used in various settings, from healthcare to the domestic sphere, as well as in the provision of social care for elderly people. Robots are performing many of the tasks that were previously carried out by humans and in contexts where they have to interact with humans. For example, they can be used in social services, providing assistance and companionship to elderly people. They can be also used as tools for teaching activities for special needs students, to reduce the students’ risk of dropping out or to foster inclusion and cooperation. The increasing application of robotics has paved the way to fruitful research work on aspects of the human-robot interaction, with the aim of investigating and understanding the significant benefits of such an innovation. This interaction has also led to the consideration of other issues, including persons’ tendency to imbue robots with human characteristics or perceptions concerning safety or errors. This symposium delivers four talks on the ways in which people perceive, elaborate and intend to use robotics, aiming to trigger a discussion on the acceptance of robots in our daily lives.