Communication and Social Robotics Labs

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Faculty across universities studying how people communicate with robots, AI, and other machines, and what those interactions mean for learning, relationships, and everyday life.

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What we study

Human-machine communication theory
How people and intelligent systems understand and respond to each other.
Family
Robots at home: bonding, emotional support, and connection across generations.
Robots in the classroom
Engagement, learning outcomes, and communication when machines help teach.
Voice and robotic operating systems
Voice interfaces and robot platforms that support natural conversation.
Privacy
Ethics, data protection, and trust in personal and social robot use.
Crisis situations
Machine agents that support communication, safety, and decisions in emergencies.

News from the labs

Happy 10th birthday to the labs

Ten years of studying how people communicate with robots, AI, and other machines.
Voice of the Ogiek: AI with Indigenous communities in Kenya

Working with the Ogiek people of the Mau Forest, the lab is co-designing an AI platform that supports Indigenous-led environmental justice and cultural sovereignty.

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New book: building communication and media research labs

Chad Edwards, Autumn Edwards, and Patric Spence share a blueprint for creating and sustaining research labs, published by Springer Nature.

View the book
Autumn Edwards named among 30 women in robotics

Robohub included Dr. Autumn Edwards on its list of 30 women in robotics you need to know about.

Read on Robohub