Hovakimyan and team aim to design coexisting, friendly robots

Robots have usually held a fictional image, like a character out of a sci-fi television show that couldn’t possibly be real. They’re those innovations that people never think would become a part of their lives; the idea of living alongside intelligent non-human, but interactive, beings can be far-reaching. However, with advanced technology and great minds, even the fictional can turn into reality. 

Naira Hovakimyan, University Scholar, Schaller Faculty Scholar, and the W. Grafton and Lillian B. Wilkins Professor in Mechanical Science and Engineering, is working on a Human Centered Robotics System to do just that. Funded by the National Science Foundation, her team’s system is being designed not just to help people, but also to interact with them on a more personal level, connecting with their emotions, feelings, gestures, movements, behaviors, and perceptions. 

The robots will be able to assist people in their homes and outside with daily tasks such as cleaning, dishwashing, laundry, and gardening—making many tedious and time-consuming tasks safer and more efficient. 

“We decided to develop robots that can coexist with humans and share environments,” she said. “And it benefits society, so it’s exciting. Scientifically and intellectually it’s very exciting to work with professors from other disciplines, including human factors and psychology.”

She said the idea for this project mostly came from her students, who thought of the concept after watching Cinderella and seeing how her mice and bird helpers came to her beck and call. 

Venanzio Cichella, a graduate student in Hovakimyan’s lab, said the vision for the project also comes from the idea that, in a few decades, humans will be living in a world where the use of such advanced technology will be more familiar.    

Currently, the project is in its first phase, where the researchers are using virtual reality caves to help program the robots’ appearance, noise, and behaviors. The caves will serve as a tool to determine humans’ comfort level and perceived safety with the robots, and tests are being conducted to measure heart rate, skin conductance, and movements. Using the data from these experiments, Hovakimyan’s group will progress to the next stage of design. 

“Then we will start testing human reactions to these virtual reality environments,” Cichella said. “Once we have determined how this robot should be designed in terms of appearance and behavior, we will start implementing these outcomes on real drones, and from that we will keep monitoring the reaction of the humans and do our research until these robots are non-intrusive and collaborative and empathetic.”

He said the devices will not be anthropomorphic, because those kinds of robots are often very bulky and costly; however, because the robots will come mostly in the form of flying drones and mobile robots on the ground, they may not be perceived positively by people. 

“Programming makes robots behave in a certain way,” Cichella said. “Unfortunately now, this is done through an industrial process, but what we want to do is to program it so that its behavior takes into account the human perception, and ensure that the human feels safe, in addition to being safe.”

Along with the Human Centered Robotics System, Hovakimyan’s lab is also developing another robotics system called ASPIRE (Automation Supporting Prolonged Independent Residence for the Elderly), which will assist the elderly in living on their own without being dependent on a nurse, nursing home, or even a family member.

Devices like these may sound expensive for the average consumer, but Hovakimyan said that as technology develops, products become cheaper, so these devices could eventually be accessible to everyone. 

She said that while the need may not be realized just yet, she believes it will become more apparent in the foreseeable future. 

“We are moving toward being a socially technical society in the future,” Hovakimyan said. “Twenty years ago, we didn’t have cell phones, and today the vast majority of people in this country have cell phones. Similarly, within the next 20 years, I predict that everyone will have a drone.”