Workshop on Real World Physical and Social Human-Robot Interaction

Humanoids 2024

As robots increasingly enter everyday settings—from homes to workplaces—the necessity for sophisticated human-robot interaction (HRI) capabilities becomes paramount. Traditional HRI systems often rely on a single mode of interaction, which can limit the robot’s ability to understand and respond to human nuances effectively. Multimodal HRI seeks to overcome these limitations by integrating various sensory inputs such as visual, auditory, and tactile feedback, thus enabling robots to interpret and adapt to complex human behaviors and environments. However, the integration of these modalities presents significant challenges, including sensor fusion, context-aware computing, and the development of adaptive, user-centered interfaces that can handle diverse human expressions and intentions.

This workshop aims to convene leading scholars and practitioners to explore the integration of multiple modalities in robotic systems for enhanced human-robot interaction. This workshop will highlight recent advancements in tactile feedback, visual recognition, interaction patterns and social dynamics to create robots that can engage more naturally and effectively with humans in diverse environments. Building on the success of previous related workshops at renowned conferences such as ICRA and IROS, this session is anticipated to attract a broad audience, ranging from academic researchers and industrial practitioners to educators and policy makers. Participants will engage in a series of keynote presentations, interactive panels, demonstration, and hands-on demonstrations, providing both foundational insights and innovative approaches to multimodal interaction. The workshop will also feature a call for papers, inviting contributions that address theoretical models, empirical studies, or state-of-the-art applications in human-robot interaction. Through this comprehensive format, the workshop will foster an inclusive dialogue aimed at shaping the future directions of research and development in the field.