Investiture ceremony of Vandana Shiva as doctor honoris causa by the UPF
June 3, at 12:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Ciutadella campus
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Why it is time to stop ostracizing social robots. Laura Aymerich-Franch
Laura Aymerich-Franch, Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Department of Communication and member of the Research Group in Communication, Advertising and Society (CAS) of the UPF
The robotics community has repeatedly emphasized that robots could be useful to take action when humans cannot, especially in disaster situations that put human safety at risk. Yet there is still no implementation on a large scale.
With physical distancing and isolation measures deemed critical to slow the spread of COVID-191, social robots have finally found an opportunity to demonstrate their real value in society. These measures present important dilemmas. Isolation can cause a significant impact on psychological well-being. Additionally, physical distancing is not always possible, especially for healthcare personnel on the front-line, who consequently become exposed to a high risk of contagion2. Social robots could be key to solve these impasses.
Read the full article published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence on June 29, 2020