Researchers win grant to study workplace human-robot interaction
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have secured a five-year, $3 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant focusing on research and training related to the adoption of robotic assistants in the workplace.
Anticipating a future of work that establishes a division of labor between humans and robotic technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have secured a five-year, $3 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant focusing on research and training related to the adoption of robotic assistants in the workplace.
WPI received the grant from NSF’s Research Traineeship (NRT) program, which awarded $49 million to 17 institutions across the United States to develop and implement graduate education traineeship models in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
According to the NSF, these projects will immerse graduate students in interdisciplinary research and deliver training in career-aligned skillsets, which will enable the next generation of scientific leaders to tackle complex, societal problems.
“NRT projects are changing the graduate education landscape and preparing STEM scientists for 21st century careers,” said Karen Marrongelle, NSF assistant director for Education and Human Resources. “These STEM graduate students collaborate with diverse groups of stakeholders to tackle complex problems, where solutions often involve large datasets and sophisticated analyses.”
Cagdas Onal, associate professor of mechanical engineering at WPI, is the principal investigator on the grant. Onal said the interdisciplinary research program, named “Future of Robots in the Workplace – Research & Development (FORW-RD),” will allow graduate student trainees “…to attain diverse skills needed to navigate opportunities and challenges to shape, guide, and lead the transition to a robot-assisted workplace.”
He said the project anticipates training 120 master’s and PhD students, including 30 funded trainees, from mechanical engineering, robotics engineering, computer science, materials science, and user experience design in WPI’s Foisie Business School.
Robotic technology in the workplace
Onal said the research idea came from informal discussions with Yunus Telliel, assistant professor of humanities and arts and a co-principal investigator. Onal had been examining ways to integrate robotic technology in the workplace in a socially responsible way, and he had informal talks with Telliel, who was curious to understand how humans would respond to such robot technology in the workplace.
“In our discussions, we talked about the impact and what this means for the future of how we work,” Onal said. “For example, if the worker isn’t there physically, are they actually responsible for the actions of this robot? Could they still find meaning in their job? There are so many different aspects to consider.”
The pair then became aware of the NSF grant and learned that it also aligned with the NSF’s Big Ideas program, which includes a program called “Future of Work.”
“We learned about the grant and thought that this would be a great way to explore some of the ideas we discussed,” said Telliel. “This was a perfect opportunity for us as we’re trying to imagine a framework in which a truly transdisciplinary perspective informs the training of the next generation of technologists.”
Onal and Telliel acknowledged ongoing public debate as to whether robots will either take jobs away or allow existing workers to perform more advanced tasks. The researchers say that one of the grant’s premises is that the workplace will remain human-centric and that people will shape the success of human-robot collaboration. “The FORW-RD program anticipates the need for industry leaders who would be able to develop an integrated perspective on technological change, social impact, and economic consequences,” Telliel said.
FORW-RD’s training activities will cultivate a breadth of interdisciplinary technical and professional skills, in addition to depth in one area of specialization. FORW-RD Thinking seminars will address ethical, social, economic, legal, and technical issues related to the use of robots in the workplace.
“We need to continually ask questions so that advisors and students can think about larger issues,” Onal said. “This program is not just about doing technology development and figuring out new algorithms. It’s about making sure the programs are perceived correctly and done right for everyone’s benefit.”
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
– Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com. See more Control Engineering robotics stories.
Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.
