The First Wollongong Social Robotics Workshop

A new generation of robots is going to enter our lives as co-workers and social companions. The First Wollongong Social Robotics Workshop invites various disciplinary perspectives to discuss the implications of this upcoming revolution, addressing key philosophical questions that intersect technology, cognitive science, ethics, and public policy:

• How is the advent of social robots going to impact our life-style, our work, our values, our relationships?
• What can we learn about the functioning of the human mind from our interaction with robots?
• What do we need to know about the functioning of the human mind in order to build robots more responsive to our needs, morals, and feelings?

WWSR1 – The First Wollongong Social Robotics Workshop
When: Wednesday 9 August 2017, from 9am to 5.00pm
Where: Room 30-G06, University of Wollongong – main campus

Attendance is free, registration is welcome.
For information and registration, contact Prof. Max Cappuccio
E-mail: m.lorenzo@uaeu.ac.ae – Mobile: 0402699255

Program of the workshop

Morning session

8.30am – 9.00am
Registration

9.00am – 9.10am
Prof. Daniel D. Hutto (University of Wollongong) & Prof. Max Cappuccio (UAE University)
Welcome and introduction

9.10am – 10.10am
Keynote speaker:
Prof. Ronald Arkin (Georgia Institute of Technology)
“Robots as ethical mediators between patients and caregivers”

10.10am – 10.50am
Dr. Jakub Zlotowski (Bielefeld University)
“Accepting and trusting robots as co-workers and companions: an experimental perspective”

10.50-11.10 Break

11.10am – 11.40am
Dr. Omar Mubin & Muneeb Ahmad (MARCS Institute, University of Western Sydney)
“Improving adaptivity in educational human-robot interaction”

11.40am-1.10pm
PhD candidates session:

1) Nicole Robinson (Queensland University of Technology)
“Social robots to help encourage health behaviour change”

2) Alan Jurgens (University of Wollongong)
“Robots & False Belief Tests: A Way to Refine Experimental Designs?”

3) Anco Peeters (University of Wollongong)
“Designing virtuous sex robots”

1.10pm – 2.10pm Lunch

Afternoon session

2.10pm – 2.50pm
Prof. Rob Sparrow (Monash University)
“Robots, rape, and representation”

2.50pm – 3.40pm
Roundtable on “Robots, Representation, and Responsibility”
with Nicolle Brancazio (University of Wollongong), Prof. Friederike Eyssel (Bielefeld University), Dr. Sarah Sorial (University of Wollongong), and the other speakers.

3.40pm – 4.00pm Break

4.00pm – 5.00pm
UOW Philosophy Research Seminar Series:
Prof. Jai Galliot (Australian Centre for Cyber-Security, University of New South Wales)
“The Unabomber on Robots: The Need for a Philosophy of Technology Geared Toward Human Ends”