How social can a robot be?

That question is about to be put to the test as part of an international collaborative research project to be launched by the new National Robotarium based at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.

The four-year project aims to develop “socially assistive robots” able to perform multi-person interactions and “open social conversation” for the first time in a healthcare setting, and it will focus on “supporting elderly patients by carefully coupling scientific findings and user-focused technological developments to bring social robots into gerontological healthcare.”

According to Heriot-Watt’s Professor Oliver Lemon, social robots could assist clinicians by helping to explain complex concepts to patients with limited medical knowledge.

“Social robot technology is of interest for elderly care because robot companionship has the long-term potential to better connect people with each other,” he explained. “Research shows that the careful use of robots in group settings can have a positive impact on health, such as decreased stress and loneliness, and improved mood and sociability. Social robots could improve both psychological well-being and the relationship between patients and hospital professionals.”

Across the UK, social robots have been introduced into many public spaces, in recent years, ranging from museums and malls to hospitals and retirement homes.

Still, experts note challenges to the technology remain. For example, “hardware and supporting software is often designed for reactive, single-user interactions, leading to limited one-on-one conversations, are among the main limitations to date,” which means robots typically wait for commands or questions based on a limited set of scripted actions.

“While overcoming the limitations of current social robots raises numerous scientific and technological challenges, it has the potential to create tremendous social impact and economic value,” said Lemon. “The National Robotarium’s focus on creating societal benefits is ideally aligned to addressing such challenges. This type of technology is touch-free and hands-free so will be in great demand in the future as it will reduce the risk and spread of infection.”

Other projects to be developed by the new Robotarium include “new research into conversational AI, computer vision, machine learning and human-robot interaction, alongside human behavior analysis and ‘sensorimotor’ robot control.”