The AU Social Robotics Lab is an interdisciplinary research unit where researchers from robotics (engineering and computer science) collaborate with researchers in design, philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and cognitive science to produce research and applications in social robotics. For current activities see the website of the Research Unit for Robophilosophy and Integrative Social Robotics.

The lab uses the research format of “Integrative Social Robotics” (ISR).  ISR is a method which proceeds from socio-cultural values and integrates all relevant scientific expertise and stakeholder input into innovative robotics solutions that are socially and ethically desirable.

Due to its value-driven, wide-scope interdisciplinary, and fully participatory approach, the AU Social Robotics lab is uniquely qualified to address the complex technical and socio-cultural challenges that arise when robots are used within the space of human social interactions.

The AU Social Robotics Lab welcomes and facilitates MA Thesis projects from engineering, the humanities, as well as social and human sciences that lend themselves to collaborative interdisciplinary embedding. Our goal is to create cross-faculty educational intersections in order to prepare students for forthcoming IEEE standards pertaining to ethical issues.  In order to fulfil these standards competently and reliably, applications of social robotics need to be developed by multidisciplinary teams that include Humanities expertise at all technology readiness levels. The BA subsidiary education in Humanistic Technology Development presents a first step towards enabling students to participate in professional multidisciplinary developer teams for culturally sustainable applications in social robotics.