Master's track Robots for Humans

Human-Technology Interaction’s Robots for Humans track aims to shed light on how our relationships with robots should be understood and designed for, offering critical perspectives on the role and impact of social robots in society. Based on insights from social psychology, social robotics, human-centered AI and technology ethics, students study and assess the latest advancements in social robotics and their roles in healthcare, industry, education, customer service, policing and more. They also grow their skillsets in technical tools and research methods to investigate human-robot interaction, particularly in relation to sensing and understanding human behavior (such as respecting the human’s personal space), designing appropriate robot social behaviors based on user needs and contexts of use, and critically reflecting on and investigating whether the current design of robots (like humanoid robots) can be detrimental to social justice.

What you will learn in Robots for Humans

As a Human-Technology Interaction master’s student, you acquire the knowledge and skills to assess the feasibility of new technological developments in view of human values, goals, constraints and capabilities. Within this, the Robots for Humans track critically examines the role of social robotics in society, emphasizing social, scientific and value-sensitive approaches to designing and evaluating human-robot relations and interactions. Using state-of-the art knowledge from social psychology, human-computer interaction (HCI), social robotics, user experience (UX) design and robot ethics, students delve into the design and deployment of robots with a focus on human well-being and flourishment. Graduates are also able to design robot behaviors that allow them to interact with humans in an ethical and socially sound way in multiple contexts.

Key components of this track include:

• Human-centered robotics. Designing robot behaviors with a strong emphasis on human needs, safety and ethical considerations, thereby ensuring that they augment rather than replace human capabilities.
• Human-robot interaction. Studying how humans and robots interact, considering both the technological and psychological aspects and examining the ethical dimensions of these interactions.
• Societal and ethical implications. Exploring the broader impact of robotics on society, including ethical questions surrounding privacy, autonomy, bias and the potential for job displacement.

As part of the master’s track, you will also have the chance to collaborate with industrial partners like Vanderlande, TNO Automotive and Smartrobots.solutions on real-life robotics challenges.

When to choose the track Robots for Humans

Can we design robots to care for our aging population? How can we ensure that a robot will always serve a human’s best interests? Do people respond to robots as if responding to a human? How might the increasing presence of robots in society influence our human relationships? Are children allowed to bully a social robot? And should a sex robot be able to say ‘no’? If these questions inspire you, Robots for Humans may be the right track for you.

How you will learn

TU/e is located in Brainport – Europe’s most innovative technology region – and this track therefore offers many opportunities to interact with leading companies. This includes site visits, organizational challenges, research projects and guest lectures. To ensure that students feel supported throughout their master’s program and make well-informed decisions, Human-Technology Interaction also makes use of a mentor system. An experienced lecturer and researcher will guide you in making choices on elective courses, studying abroad and the graduation project. This region, program and mentoring system all enable students to tailor their education to their skills and interests with a view to their long-term future.