As a student of Human-Technology Interaction, you acquire knowledge and skills to enable you to assess the feasibility of new technological developments in view of human values, goals, constraints and capabilities. As with all master’s programs at TU/e, this is structured with a mix of core courses and elective tracks so that students can tailor their education to their own interests and ambitions. In the second year, you may also opt for either an international semester or an internship and additional electives before you start your graduation project.
Core courses
The Robots for Humans track is embedded in the Human-Technology Interaction master’s program. During the first year of this degree, students are introduced to the overarching content of the program with core courses on UX design, advanced data analysis and metascience. These courses are accompanied by a dedicated challenge-based project in which you enter the field and apply the methods learned. Fundamental knowledge, which is further developed in the Robots for Humans track, is imparted through a mix of interactive lectures, engaging assignments and group work covering topics related to state-of-the-art research by TU/e professors.
Robots for Humans track courses
Students who choose the Robots for Humans track follow a mix of compulsory courses and electives. Visit the education guide to find more information about the curriculum of this track. The core courses for this track are:
- Advanced Social Psychology, which aims for a better understanding of people's social nature based on theories on social perception, self-presentation, attitude formation and change, social pressure and prejudices, moral and group behavior and consumer behavior, all in relation to human interaction with technology.
- Human-Robot Interaction, studying how humans and robots interact, considering both the technological and psychological aspects and examining the ethical dimensions of these interactions.
- Human-AI Interaction, helping students to comprehend and anticipate the current and future impacts of AI on human-technology interactions and human-technology relations and familiarizing them with principles and tools to engineer AI systems that benefit human well-being.
- Ethics of Technology, in which students learn to use philosophical theories and concepts to address the ethical aspects of technology. Methods for incorporating ethics into technology design are discussed and critically evaluated.
While the Robots for Humans track shares some common elements with the Human-Centered AI track, its distinctive aspect lies in the tangible and embodied nature of the interaction between humans and robots. The physical presence of robots gives rise to a multitude of psychological, technical and societal challenges that are unique to the field of robotics.
In addition to the general Human-Technology Interaction courses on UX design, advanced data analysis and metascience, students can choose multiple electives from across the program or other TU/e departments, such as Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Mathematics & Computer Science. In your elective space, we warmly recommend technical courses like Sensors, Linear Systems, Signals and Control (EE), Embedded Signal Processing Systems (EE), Control Engineering (ME), Machine Learning Engineering (M&CS), Machine Learning for Signal Processing (EE), Advanced Materials for Soft Robotics (CE) and Mobile Robot Control (ME). Other courses that could add broad value to your profile include Implementing and Adapting to Artificial Intelligence in Organizations (HPM), Embodying Intelligent Behavior in Social Context (ID) and Designing User Interfaces with Emerging Technologies (ID).
Graduation project
Master’s degrees at TU/e conclude with a graduation project that takes up two quartiles of the program and is often conducted within an organization in the relevant domain. Given that Brainport boasts over 5000 high-tech and IT companies, the region provides a wide array of options to find a place that suits you. Together with their company supervisor and academic supervisors, students formulate a practical, scientific and relevant research question. This always involves a high degree of freedom to choose a topic that appeals to them and matches their career vision.
Studying abroad
In an increasingly interconnected world, the opportunity to spend part of your program elsewhere can provide valuable experience for an international career in (technological) innovation, including robotics. A master’s degree in Human-Technology Interaction therefore offers the option to go abroad in the first two quartiles of the second year of the program.