The Communication and Social Robotics Lab at Western Michigan University is one the first to study social robotics from a communication perspective. The lab conducts experiments to understand the possibilities and limitations of human-robot communication in interpersonal settings. The project is a research collaborative between faculty in the School of Communication at WMU and the University of Kentucky. Dr. Autumn Edwards and Dr. Chad Edwards direct the robot lab at WMU, which was founded in September 2014.
For the Communication & Social Robotics Lab to take the next step, the lab needs to acquire a more sophisticated robot for human-robot communication exploration. The NAO robot is the humanoid robot that will propel the lab further.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 for a NAO Robot and associated equipment (travel case, computer, and service plan) by
August 1.
Please consider making a gift toward the WMU Social Robotics Lab today.
The Communication & Social Robotics Lab seeks to become a leader at exploring human-robot communication while at the same time maintaining commitment to the student research experiences and education. Each semester, 5-7 undergraduate students and 1-2 graduate students work in this lab on research projects. These students learn to operate robots, design research studies based on their communication courses and participate in all components of the research process.
To read more about the lab, see the story in the latest issue of the WMU Magazine. You can also like the Facebook Page.
As a way of thanking you for your investment, donors will receive:
Bronze Level - $25
A special thank you message on social media
Silver Level - $100
A photo taken with the robot
Gold Level - $250
A 'Thank You' including your name on the lab's website
Platinum Level - $1000
A 'Bot O'Gram' personalized video from the robot with a message of your choice
Diamond Level - $10,000
Naming rights of the robot