Emily Spranger, public relations major and research assistant in the lab says she loves taking the robots out and seeing them interact with people. “Most people think it’s pretty funny and interesting. A lot of people start laughing,” said Spranger.
The social robotics lab at WMU is joint effort and one of few in the nation to study robots from a communication approach. Autumn Edwards and Chad Edwards, both associate professors of communication at WMU, along Dr. Patric Spence of the University of Kentucky, are the lab’s faculty directors.
According to Chad, interacting with robots interpersonally will be the new normal in just a number of years—which means giving students an opportunity to work with robots now will put them at an advantage.
In the lab, students can gain invaluable experience working with the robots for course credit. While some students are research assistants, other students are managing social media for the lab, blogging, producing videos, image editing, and website design. Students are able to not only hone practical job skills, but have the unique opportunity to work with robots.
“I kind of feel like I have an inside view because we’re doing that research already,” Spranger said. Research assistants are involved in everything from generating possible research topics to conducting research and analyzing data. Involving students in the research process not only enriches their entire educational experience, but it gives them an advantage over students from other schools.
Collaboratively, the lab is conducting cutting edge research about topics such as interpersonal communication and social presence. The team of researchers has published and presented their findings at conferences since the lab was established earlier this year.
To learn more about the Communication and Social Robotics Lab at WMU, please click here.
Posted by Brianna Fitzpatrick