The course aims to provide students with the fundamental concepts of assistive robotics, focusing on the use of robotic systems to support people in activities of daily living. These applications include enhancing motor and cognitive abilities, reducing anxiety, providing companionship, and assisting with routine tasks.
Since assistive robotics is inherently human-centered, social aspects play a fundamental role, and robotic systems must be capable of interacting appropriately with users.
The course begins with a review of the basic concepts of robotics in order to establish a common foundation. It then introduces the specific concepts of assistive robotics, its main characteristics, and its principal application areas. Finally, current research is reviewed to understand the state of the art and its relevance.
By the end of the course, students will be able to identify problems that can be addressed through assistive robotics and design basic solutions tailored to users' needs.
Titular Professors
Professors
It is recommended to have completed or be familiar with the basic concepts of introductory robotics, programming, Linux environments, ROS, and Python.
The objective of the course is to introduce students to the field of assistive robotics by providing a comprehensive overview of its foundations, applications, and current challenges. The course aims to help students understand the role of robots in assisting people, particularly in contexts where social factors and human-robot interaction are essential. Furthermore, it seeks to develop students' ability to analyze existing systems and design basic assistive robotics solutions that address real user needs.
Part I. Fundamentals of Assistive Robotics
1. Introduction to Assistive Robotics
1.1. What is Assistive Robotics?
1.2. Interaction and Adaptation
1.3. Brief Historical Overview
2. Human-Robot Interaction
2.1. What is HRI?
2.2. Interaction Design
2.3. Spatial Interaction
2.4. Non-verbal Communication
• Paraverbal Communication
• Body Language
• Facial Expressions
2.5. Verbal Communication
2.6. Emotions
2.7. Alternative Communication Modalities
• Touch
• Screens and Graphical User Interfaces
• Physiological Information
3. Application Areas of Assistive Robotics
3.1. Healthcare
3.2. Home Assistance
3.3. Education
3.4. Services
3.5. Industry
3.6. Offices
3.7. Companionship and Entertainment
Part II. Research in Assistive Robotics
1. Research Methods
1.1. Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
1.2. Qualitative Methods
• Participant Observation
• Ethnographies
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
1.3. Quantitative Methods
• Case Studies
• Field Studies
• Surveys
• Experiments
2. Literature Review
2.1. Literature Search
2.2. Scientific Databases
2.3. Search Strategies
2.4. PRISMA
2.5. Reference Management
3. Critical Reading of Scientific Articles
3.1. Problem Identification
3.2. Experimental Design
3.3. Evaluation Methods
3.4. Results and Limitations
3.5. Critical Discussion
Part III. Assistive Robotics Project
1. State-of-the-Art Review for a User Profile
1.1. Literature Search
1.2. Analysis of Existing Work
1.3. Presentation of Results
2. Design of an Assistive Activity
2.1. Definition of Objectives
2.2. Interaction Design
2.3. Development of the Proposal
3. Implementation
3.1. Introduction to Unity
3.2. Activity Development
3.3. Validation of the Proposal
The course is structured into three main blocks that combine the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, the introduction to research methodologies, and the development of an applied project in assistive robotics.
In a first phase, the fundamentals of assistive robotics, its main application areas, and the basic concepts of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) will be presented. This block will provide students with the necessary knowledge to understand the different mechanisms of interaction between people and robots, as well as the design principles used in such systems.
Subsequently, the main research methods used in the field of assistive robotics will be introduced, with special emphasis on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, literature review procedures, and the critical reading of scientific articles. Students will learn to perform bibliographic searches using specialized databases, manage references, and identify different experimental designs and evaluation methodologies used in the scientific literature.
Based on this knowledge, each working group will develop a state-of-the-art review on an assigned user profile. This review will allow students to identify existing solutions, interaction mechanisms used, evaluation methodologies applied, and opportunities for improvement identified in the literature. The results will be presented and discussed in class through oral presentations and critical debate among the different groups.
Finally, each group will design and implement an assistive activity adapted to the assigned profile using Unity. The project development will be carried out incrementally through several checkpoints, in which students will present the status of their work, receive feedback from the teaching staff and their peers, and incorporate necessary improvements before the final submission.
The evaluation of the course is based on continuous assessment of the work developed throughout the semester and is divided into four assessment components.
STATE OF THE ART AND ACTIVITY PROPOSAL
Students will prepare, in groups, a document that will include:
• The literature review on the assigned user profile.
• A critical analysis of the identified works.
• The identification of interaction strategies, evaluation methodologies, and main results described in the literature.
• The proposal of the assistive activity to be developed during the practical sessions, justified based on the state of the art.
ORAL PRESENTATION OF THE STATE OF THE ART
Each group will orally present the results of their literature review, analyzing a minimum of four relevant scientific papers. Emphasis will be placed on synthesis ability, critical analysis, justification of conclusions, and the quality of the oral presentation.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT (CHECKPOINTS)
Throughout the semester, several checkpoints will be held during which groups will present the status of their project development. Continuous progress, work planning, incorporation of feedback received in reviews, and the degree of achievement of the objectives set in each checkpoint will be evaluated.
FINAL PRACTICAL PROJECT
The final development of the assistive activity implemented with Unity will be assessed, considering its functionality, the quality of interaction design, the suitability to the assigned user profile, and the coherence with the conclusions drawn from the state-of-the-art review.
The assessment of the course measures the degree of achievement of competencies across four dimensions: scientific research, critical thinking, interaction design, and assistive systems development.
Learning outcomes are evaluated according to the level of mastery demonstrated in each of the assessment components.
1. Capacity for research and scientific literature analysis
Students must demonstrate the ability to:
• Formulate clear and relevant research questions in the field of assistive robotics.
• Design structured literature search strategies (databases, keywords, inclusion/exclusion criteria).
• Correctly apply systematic literature review processes (PRISMA or equivalent).
• Select and justify relevant scientific articles.
• Identify experimental methodologies used in HRI.
This outcome is mainly reflected in AVAL 1 and AVAL 2.
2. Capacity for critical analysis and scientific synthesis
Students must be able to:
• Critically analyze scientific works beyond descriptive summaries.
• Identify methodological limitations (sample size, bias, experimental design).
• Compare studies and extract general trends in the field.
• Detect research gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Synthesize information from multiple sources coherently.
This outcome is reflected in AVAL 1 and AVAL 2.
3. Understanding and design of human-robot interaction (HRI)
Students must demonstrate the ability to:
• Identify different interaction modalities (verbal, non-verbal, and multimodal).
• Understand system adaptation mechanisms to the user.
• Analyze and design communication strategies in assistive systems.
• Define interaction flows coherent with the user profile.
• Consider cognitive, emotional, and contextual aspects in design.
This outcome is reflected in AVAL 1, AVAL 2, and AVAL 4.
4. Ability to design experiments and evaluation in assistive robotics
Students must be able to:
• Identify evaluation methodologies used in HRI (UX, usability, technology acceptance, objective and subjective measures).
• Relate experimental results to design decisions.
• Understand how assistive solutions are validated in real or simulated environments.
• Incorporate evaluation criteria into the design of the proposal.
This outcome is mainly reflected in AVAL 1 and AVAL 4.
5. Ability to design and implement an assistive system
Students must demonstrate the ability to:
• Design an assistive activity coherent with a user profile.
• Implement a functional system in a development environment (Unity).
• Develop clear and accessible user interfaces.
• Integrate system logic, interaction, and user flows.
• Ensure system functionality and stability.
This outcome is reflected in AVAL 3 and AVAL 4.
6. Capacity for scientific communication and teamwork
Students must demonstrate the ability to:
• Communicate research results in a structured and understandable way.
• Deliver clear and critical oral presentations.
• Justify design decisions when questioned.
• Actively participate in scientific discussions.
• Contribute to collaborative group work.
This outcome is reflected in AVAL 2 and AVAL 3.
[1] Mataric, M. (2007) The Robotics Primer, The MIT press.
[2] Feil-Seifer, David & J Matari?, Maja. (2005). Defining Socially Assistive Robotics. Proceedings of the IEEE 9th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics. pp 465 - 468. 10.1109/ICORR.2005.1501143. [3] Christoph Bartneck, Tony Belpaeme, Friederike Eyssel, Takayuki Kanda, Merel Keijsers and Selma Sabanovi? Human- Robot Interaction. An Introduction (2019). Cambridge University Press (https://www.human-robot-interaction.org)
[1] Thomaz, A., Hoffman, G., & Cakmak, M. (2016). Computational Human-Robot Interaction. Foundations and Trends® in Robotics, 4(2-3), 105-223.
[2] Current scientific articles selected by students and/or teaching staff throughout the course, depending on the topics covered in class.