After successful completion of the course, students are able to...

…read and demonstrate good comprehension of various theoretical perspectives on interaction which can be applied to human-robot interaction design

…apply basic human-centered methods for designing and evaluating human-robot interaction systems

…apply practical skills for creating an independent research project in human-robot interaction and presenting it to an interdisciplinary audience

…apply reflective practices into everyday research

This course surveys the emerging field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). In the near future, robots are expected to take part in our everyday lives as assistants, teammates, guides, caretakers, and companions. HRI research tackles the social and technical challenges involved in developing such technologies - understanding how people perceive and are affected by robots as well as creating robots that interact in ways that are satisfying for human partners. This class focuses on how to design and evaluate interactive robots from a human-centered perspective. We will cover topics such as anthropomorphism, robot form & function, multimodal communication, and real-world applications of robots (e.g. domestic, health and rehabilitation, urban search and rescue, education, entertainment), as well as cover methods commonly used in HRI research. As HRI is a transdisciplinary field, readings and assignments will include material from robotics, psychology, HCI, cognitive science, design, ethics, and other relevant disciplines. Classes will combine critical readings and in-class discussions with practical instruction on how to design a human-robot interaction user study using an off-the-shelf building set. Students will have a chance to follow their interests in exploring HRI through a team-based project in interactive robot design and evaluation. 

Topic-relevant lectures prepared as videos 
Regular in-class meetings for content and assignment reflection (accessible in person as well as via zoom)
Reading, analysis and critical discussion of scientific texts in the area of human-robot interaction 
Setup and conduction and evaluation of a small-scale transdisciplinary human-robot interaction project
Written and oral presentation of project phases

Individual assignments (35%):
-Reading reflections: For selected topics covered in the course, a paper will be given to the students. Students are supposed to read the papers and write a short reflection (2-3 paragraphs, not more than 500 words)

-Robot movie review: Students will be asked to watch a movie of their choice in which robots play a major role and write a 2-page (not more than 700 words) analysis of the Human-Robot Interaction components of the movie.

Group project (45%): Setup and conduction and evaluation of a small-scale transdisciplinary human-robot interaction project

Class/Zoom participation (20%): Including regular attendance, being prepared for class, making contributions in discussions and in-class exercises. Both the quantity and quality of class contributions will be taken into account.