Prof. Teena Chakkalayil Hassan
Dr. Teena Hassan is a Professor of Computer Science, with specialisation in mathematical foundations of autonomous systems at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences since March 2023. She heads the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems in the Department of Computer Science and focuses on promoting research, teaching, and industry transfer in the domains of artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous systems. She completed her doctorate with summa-cum-laude at the University of Bamberg, Germany, in 2020 on the topic of automatic facial expression analysis by integrating domain knowledge with data-driven methods. From 2015 to 2018, she was a research associate at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits in Erlangen, Germany. There she conducted her doctoral research with a focus on applications in pain and stress recognition. Later, she extended her research to the field of human-robot interaction at the Bielefeld University and the University of Bremen to develop empathetic robots that can interact with humans through naturalistic and intuitive modalities. One of her motivations has always been to use technology for improving the quality of life of people. She lays great emphasis on human-centred aspects of interaction with robots and prioritises the responsible development of adaptive, socially assistive autonomous systems.
ZAT: Enabling Innovations in Assistive Technologies for the Future
By all accounts, the issues we face worldwide — today — as a consequence of not only an ageing society, but one where, for example, diagnoses of neurological conditions at all age groups continue to rise, have fuelled researchers to find ways to improve the lives of those affected — both directly and indirectly. The potential benefits stemming from the use of such assistive technologies is immeasurable. This talk will provide an introduction to the work being conducted by the Center for Assistive Technologies Rhein-Ruhr (ZAT), the focus on pro-adaptivity and what this looks like in the work, home, healthcare, mobility and education domains. In addition, we will discuss a number of challenges that have posed barriers to entry in the fields of assistive technology and issue a call for closer and stronger ties amongst the many initiatives to successfully address these challenges.
Dr. Hannah Bradwell
Dr. Hannah Bradwell is a Digital Health Research Fellow within the Centre for Health Technology at the University of Plymouth. She has extensive experience in digital health research, primarily in designing, implementing and evaluating novel technologies in health and social care, with a particular focus on end-user and stakeholder feedback.
Exploring the Design, Use and Impact of Companion Pet Robots and Automata for Older Adults and People with Dementia
Companion robots, socially assistive robots typically possessing zoomorphic features, have shown potential in supporting older adults and people with dementia with their wellbeing. This presentation summarises a range of studies which aimed to expand the knowledge base on a range of available companion robots for older adults, through collaborative action research. The studies explored feedback in various settings from a collectively large sample of stakeholders including older adults (with and without dementia), family members, care home staff and management, robot developers, health and care professionals and students. Studies to be presented relate to robot design, the implementation, use and impact, infection control and ethical considerations.