Social robots

Last year course is taught: 2024-2025.
Last examination year: 2025-2026.
Transitional arrangements will be announced

This course first describes the emergence of the vision that social robots will be broadly deployed in our society. Then we identify some key technical characteristics of social robotics. What kind of machines are robots actually? What kinds of technologies are we discussing when we talk about social robots? Subsequently, we look at some key social characteristics of social robots, and we will discuss the ethical questions in the field of innovation and about social acceptance about robotics on the basis of robo-ethics. Furthermore, we address the technical opportunities and challenges in developing interaction of social robots.

• Students can explain why social robotics is a potentially highly disruptive technology in the shorter and longer term;
• Students can develop a concept for a social robot solution based on the criteria for design evaluation;
• Students are able to recognize the political and administrative issues with regard to the first learning objective;
• Students are able to recognize and mention the issues concerning robotics with respect to USE (user, society and enterprise);
• Students are able to reflect on the moral judgments of the different ethical theories with regard to the technical options of robotics, and to judge for oneself on the basis of the reflection;
• Students are able to give constructive feedback to their peers about their work done in the group assignments.

You must meet the following requirements

• Registered for a degree programme other than
• HBO-TOP Applied Physics, Pre-Master
• Completed Final examination Bsc program
• Completed none of the course modules listed below
• Social robots (0LK40)

• Journal articles (will change every year)