Related papers: SPARCS: Structuring Physically Assistive Robotics …
Recent advances in reinforcement learning (RL) have increased the promise of introducing cognitive assistance and automation to robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS). However, progress in algorithms and methods depends on the…
City logistics involves movements of goods in urban areas respecting the municipal and administrative guidelines. The importance of city logistics is growing over the years especially with its role in minimizing traffic congestion and…
In this paper, we report an extensive analysis that we performed in two scenarios where the care relation between doctor and patients are mediated by the relatives of the patients: Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) and Nursing Homes (NH).…
Robotic assistants in long-term human-robot collaboration need to assist users under partial observations while leveraging cross-day interaction history. However, human traits and routines are often unknown at the beginning of…
To understand and collaborate with humans, robots must account for individual human traits, habits, and activities over time. However, most robotic assistants lack these abilities, as they primarily focus on predefined tasks in structured…
Accessibility is one of the most important features in the design of robots and their interfaces. This thesis proposes methods that improve the accessibility of robots for three different target audiences: consumers, researchers, and…
The presence and coexistence of human operators and collaborative robots in shop-floor environments raises the need for assigning tasks to either operators or robots, or both. Depending on task characteristics, operator capabilities and the…
Physically assistive robots in home environments can enhance the autonomy of individuals with impairments, allowing them to regain the ability to conduct self-care and household tasks. Individuals with physical limitations may find existing…
Artificial intelligence systems are increasingly deployed in domains that shape human behaviour, institutional decision-making, and societal outcomes. Existing responsible AI and governance efforts provide important normative principles but…
Robotic grasping is a fundamental skill across all domains of robot applications. There is a large body of research for grasping objects in table-top scenarios, where finding suitable grasps is the main challenge. In this work, we are…
Scene graphs have emerged as a powerful tool for robots, providing a structured representation of spatial and semantic relationships for advanced task planning. Despite their potential, conventional 3D indoor scene graphs face critical…
Sociotechnical challenges of machine learning in healthcare and social welfare are mismatches between how a machine learning tool functions and the structure of care practices. While prior research has documented many such issues, existing…
We investigate the problem of safe control synthesis for systems operating in environments with uncontrollable agents whose dynamics are unknown but coupled with those of the controlled system. This scenario naturally arises in various…
This paper presents a planning algorithm designed to improve cooperative robot behavior concerning human comfort during forceful human-robot physical interaction. Particularly, we are interested in planning for object grasping and…
In this project, we focus on human-robot interaction in caregiving scenarios like bathing, where physical contact is inevitable and necessary for proper task execution because force must be applied to the skin. Using finite element…
Robots are being designed to communicate with people in various public and domestic venues in a helpful, discreet way. Here, we use a speculative approach to shine light on a new concept of robot steganography (RS), that a robot could seek…
In today's high-pressure and isolated society, the demand for emotional support has surged, necessitating innovative solutions. Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) offer a technological approach to providing emotional assistance by leveraging…
Cyber human interaction is a broad term encompassing the range of interactions that humans can have with technology. While human interaction with fixed and mobile computers is well understood, the world is on the cusp of ubiquitous and…
The rapid advancement of robotics, spanning expanded capabilities, more intuitive interaction, and more integration into real-world workflows, is reshaping what it means for humans and robots to coexist. Beyond sharing physical space, this…
Research in child-robot interactions suggests that engaging in "care-taking" of a social robot, such as tucking the robot in at night, can strengthen relationships formed between children and robots. In this work, we aim to better…