Human-Robot Confluence: Toward a Humane Robotics

The new humanoid robots not only perform tasks, but also can activate interactions and social relationships with other robots and with humans. In this view, the diffusion of humanoid robots with a physical structure reminiscent of the human body, endowed with decision-making abilities, and capable of externalizing and generating emotions, is opening a new line of research with a main objective of understanding the dynamics of social interactions generated by the encounters between robots and humans. However, this process is not easy. To be accepted by society, robots have to "understand" people and to adapt themselves to complex real-life social environments. This goal underlines the importance for research of aspects such as communication, acceptance, and ethics that require the collaboration between multiple disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, design, mechatronics, computer science, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, biomechanics, and roboethics. This special issue seeks to gather knowledge from these disciplines with respect to human-robot confluence (HRC) in the application of robots in everyday life, including robot training partners and industrial collaborative robots (Cobots). It covers a wide range of topics related to HRC, involving theories, methodologies, technologies, and empirical and experimental studies. The final goal is to support researchers and developers in creating robots that not only have a humanoid body but that are really "humane": accessible, sympathetic, generous, compassionate, and forbearing.