Human Augmentation
How do people view robotic systems that are designed to support them in their everyday lives? As researchers working on social robots and assistive technologies, addressing this question makes us more aware of how our research aligns with society’s perspective, and it can inspire us to explore new research questions.
We are particularly interested in how people think about human augmentation through technology and how it might empower and support people, but also enhance their abilities. For instance, how do people imagine robotics systems that socially interact with them? We would like to know whether people might find these robotic and smart technologies scary and what they are hesitant about. We also would like to know when and how they would like to use such technologies and for which purposes.
What is missing is the real connection between humans and technology. This motivates my research into developing AI that better matches people’s experiences
Catholijn Jonker
The perception, expectation, wishes, and concerns regarding robots and technology for human augmentation is very much dependent on the personality and experiences of the person.
Odette Scharenborg
Documentary
In this film, documentary maker Maaike Broos follows a diverse group of people visiting the TU Delft and entering a dialogue on robotics for human augmentation. The visitors experience robots in live demonstrations and discuss and reflect with the researchers of the Human Augmentation team. The documentary shows how the perception of robots is coloured by personal experiences, expectations and needs.
Hearing the participants reflect on our research also triggered discussions amongst ourselves
Marco Rozendaal
The training equipment for rehabilitation that we are currently developing reaches only a small group of privileged people, and more focus needs to be on accessibility for everyone
Heike Vallery
