Learning to live with (and love) robots

It aims to create a new generation of interactive, socially intelligent, companion technology that is capable of long-term engagement with humans in both a virtual (graphical) world, and in the real world (as robots).

Project Lirec (short for ‘living with robots and interactive companions) will also be the first in the world to examine how people react to a familiar companion entity when it swaps from one robot body to another, or from a robot body into a virtual form, for example on a computer screen or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

In addition to advancing the technology of robotic companions in Lirec, our team will also take a critical perspective and address ethical and psychological issues regarding companions

Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn

Principal investigator

Hertfordshire University School of Computer Science

A team at the University of Hertfordshire in southern England is working with a consortium of nine other internationally leading European partners that intend to develop and study a variety of robots and other autonomous interactive companions during the four-year project.

The researchers have taken the robot out of the laboratory to live in a house nearby, to investigate how people can interact with robots of different appearance and behaviour, and how a robotic ‘mind’ can migrate to other robots or computer devices.

The researchers have begun work on what they call a migration platform that uses all of their existing mobile and stationary robots so that, as companions, they can offer assistance with basic physical activities and higher-level cognitive tasks.

These tasks can range from assistance with carrying objects, browsing the Internet for the elderly or disabled, and reminding an individual to take their medication or act as a travelling companion.

Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn, principal investigator at Hertfordshire University’s School of Computer Science, said: “In addition to advancing the technology of robotic companions in Lirec, our team will also take a critical perspective and address ethical and psychological issues regarding companions.

“Since embarking on this project, we have developed several new applications for our robots which use all of our platforms. For example, we have robots which can be used for lifting and carrying, and two which are more suitable for cognitive prosthetics.

We are interested in how people can develop a long-term relationship with artificial creatures, in everyday settings

Professor Peter McOwan

Lirec project coordinator

University of London

“For example, we could have a robot in the living room and then a mobile platform in the bedroom. And if an individual wants a travelling companion to remind them when to take their medication, the robot’s memory could be transferred to a PDA and taken along.”

The project is led by Queen Mary, University of London. Coordinator, Professor Peter McOwan, from Queen Mary’s Department of Computer Science, explained: “We are interested in how people can develop a long-term relationship with artificial creatures, in everyday settings.

“You may not be able to find a robot that can help you do the dishes anytime soon but we are hoping to explore how such friendly future technology could be developed, and start to predict what the intelligent machines of tomorrow might look like and how we should treat them.”