As humans and robots increasingly share spaces, creating robots that understand, interact and adapt to human behaviour is key. However, navigating the complex and collaborative nature of human interactions can pose a challenge for the robots.
At Stockholm University’s Technology and Interaction Research Group, experts in Human-Computer Interaction and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work technologists and social scientists come together to explore how technology unfolds in real-world social settings. Their research encompasses digital health, mobility, and speech agents, studying not only how technologies are adopted but also how they reshape existing social practices. Their work involves both analysing technology use in situ and rethinking how conventional technologies can be improved.
The research project ‘Advanced Adaptive Intelligent Systems’ aims to develop new ways for robots and intelligent agents to understand, interact with and adapt to how humans work in our everyday lives. Their goal is to develop social robots that can understand human communication and behaviour and adapt their actions for settings such as education, health care or small-scale manufacturing.
One of their use cases is the development of a smart kitchen assistant using Furhat. Designed specifically for seniors, Furhat helps with cooking and other household tasks through speech-based and physical collaboration. Over time, it learns from user interaction, continuously adjusting its behaviour to provide more personalised assistance. By making robots more intuitive and responsive, this research brings us closer to a future where humans and AI work together seamlessly in everyday life.
