Connectionists: [CFP] Intelligent Assistants for All - Frontiers in Robotics and AI

[Joni Zhong]

[CFP] INTELLIGENT ASSISTANTS FOR ALL  - FRONTIERS IN ROBOTICS AND AI

Manuscript Submission Deadline 15 November 2024

Keywords: human-machine interaction, people with disabilities, elderly people, assistive robotics, social robotics, human-robot teaming, human-autonomy teaming, care robotics

https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/63016/intelligent-assistants-for-all


Demographic shifts have led to an expanding segment of individuals increasingly excluded from everyday life. Among them, the elderly and those with disabilities constitute some of the most marginalized members of our society. Given the discourse within political and research circles, there is a call to leverage the ongoing surge of advancements in robotics and AI. This underscores the need for collaborative efforts in researching and developing innovative methodologies and prototypes aimed at augmenting technological support to mitigate existing constraints. Within employment realms, technological and robotic aids play pivotal roles in assisting with task completion, while in caregiving, social robots help maintain mental acuity among the elderly. Numerous scenarios underscore the potential of human-robot, human-machine, and human-AI interactions in fostering inclusivity, thus advancing the cause of creating a fair and inclusive society for all.

Including individuals with disabilities, whether stemming from age, congenital conditions, or injury, play an important role in overcoming demographic challenges. However, its success depends on performant and accessible technical aids driven by novel methods for human-robot, human-machine and human-AI interaction. Within this Research Topic, we delve into novel approaches to work and caregiving through collaborative efforts between individuals with disabilities and (partially) automated systems. Yet, the tendency towards tailored assistance risks perpetuating the perceived gap between individuals with disabilities and those without, underscoring the need for technical solutions that benefit all equally. Through such inclusive measures, genuine equality can be realized, highlighting the necessity for seamless assistance in both, work and caregiving settings.

This Research Topic features a spectrum of research spanning diverse and interdisciplinary domains. Key areas of focus include:
• Advancements in care robotics and human-robot interaction
• Innovations in intelligent mobility devices catering to individuals with disabilities
• Exploration of human-machine interaction within manufacturing contexts
• Ethical considerations pertinent to human-machine interaction
• Emergent paradigms in work methodologies
• Accessible intelligent user interfaces
• Evaluation paradigms in sensitive contexts
• Ingenious technical solutions aimed at alleviating the burden on care workers

Authors are encouraged to elucidate how their research fosters accessibility for individuals of all backgrounds and contributes to cultivating a more diverse, inclusive, and socially sustainable society. Within this framework, the Research Topic delves into methodologies and hardware relevant to the aforementioned subjects. Contributions are expected to address the inclusion of people with disabilities by a technical system, its foundations, implementation and design, evaluation paradigms and/or its implications on our society.

Guest editors:


  *
Matthias Kraus, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany


  *
Adriana Tapus, École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées, Palaiseau, France


  *
Junpei 'Joni' Zhong, University of Wollongong (Hong Kong), Hong Kong S.A.R.


  *
Nils Mandischer, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany



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