The robot is intended to be a companion and assistant on campus, where it supports and entertains students and visitors with and without disabilities. It can guide users to various locations on campus, bring them a drink for refreshments or surprise them with a demonstration of its abilities. The robot communicates with the user via acoustic and visual signals. It accepts commands via a web user interface that can be operated via a browser, i.e. also via the user's own cell phone.
The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Engineering and Architecture and Social Work. While the Technology and Architecture team developed the communication between humans and robots and the autonomous locomotion, the Social Work team defined the use cases, conducted the user workshops and evaluated the surveys. Following feedback from users, the design was also revised in an HSLU design workshop.
Through this project, HSLU researchers and students are building up expertise in the growing field of social robotics. The focus is on the benefits for people. Comments and findings from workshops and user tests show how reflective and interested HSLU students are in following developments in social robotics.
Link to the Competence Center responsible for the project:
CC Mechanical Systems
Industry partner:
Noser Engineering AG
