Workshop Examines Socially Engaging Robot Interfaces at UIST 2024

The HRI x UIST Workshop on Designing Socially Engaging Robot Interfaces, co-organized by Pragathi Praveena, a postdoctoral researcher with AI-CARING at Carnegie Mellon University, was held Oct. 13, 2024, at CMU in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As part of the UIST 2024 conference, the workshop offered participants hands-on experiences with robots such as Misty, Cozmo, and Toio.

Interactive demos, prototyping sessions, and discussions allowed attendees to explore innovative ways to use robotic devices to foster social engagement. Ideas included using robots to mediate group brainstorming disagreements and enhancing date experiences for individuals with low vision.

Approximately 20 attendees formed four groups to prototype their designs during the workshop. The event was supported by organizers from CMU, including the CMU AI Makerspace, as well as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), and the University of Chicago.