On 17th of December 2021 we had our last team meeting. The almost three and a half years went by much too quickly. The BMBF research project VIVA officially ended at the end of December. Due to the Corona pandemic, the project could not be implemented 1:1 as originally planned. Thus, collaboration and user evaluations … Read more
The Körber Foundation asked us to present our robot NAVEL on their thematic series “Logged in”. Together with Arne Manzeschke, professor of anthropology and ethics, and the moderator Katharina Heckendorf, we discussed the social potentials and risks that social robots have. We need to be especially mindful of vulnerable user groups. We agreed that social … Read more
https://nextcloud.navelrobotics.com/index.php/s/57dQdWYWESC24QW/download we have developed another locomotion platform for our social robot, which allows the tall robot figure to ride dynamically despite a small footprint, while always remaining stable. Stay tuned.
https://nextcloud.navelrobotics.com/index.php/s/BiHqWbRGJbq48cq/download Gradually, we are getting closer and our head is becoming interactive.For social interactions and thus for social robots, verbal and nonverbal communication is essential. Therefore, we have put a lot of emphasis on the design of our head. Agile head movements with silent gearless drives and lively facial expressions enable expressive power. The high … Read more
https://nextcloud.navelrobotics.com/index.php/s/EfPwAT78AgxJGrM/download Our second Ballbot version is already quite a bit more dynamic than the first. It’s really fun to drive around with it and test the limits. The new mechanics and new more complex controllers create a much more stable behavior, both when driving over uneven surfaces and when turning around its own axis.But there … Read more
In the last few months, we have done initial field tests with our Wizard-of-Oz prototype. We used it in nursing homes and a pediatric clinic with autistic children. A Wizard-of-Oz prototype is not autonomous but is controlled remotely. For this purpose, we can remotely control the robot with a browser interface on the laptop via … Read more
https://nextcloud.navelrobotics.com/index.php/s/SwxF7XjAyAxg8Nb/download Eye contact is one of the most important means of communication. We want to be seen. And we want to see when others look at us. Therefore, it is essential for a social robot to have the ability to make eye contact. Unfortunately, two eyes shown on a flat display cannot give the real … Read more