SOCIAL ROBOT: DEFINING THE CONCEPT

2016

Sovremennye Issledovaniâ Socialʹnyh Problem, Vol 0, Iss 11, Pp 297-312 (2016)

Social robotics is a mainstream cross-disciplinary field of research. Its rapid development along with the growth in design and production of social robotic platforms make demand for collaborative work of different kinds of specialists including those from the area of humanities and social studies as experts in sociocultural issues. Developing consistent and unified basic vocabulary is essential for this interdisciplinary teamwork to be effective. Thus, the term “social robot” needs to be understood and defined more accurately. Purpose. The authors aim to provide an overview of existing approaches to defining the term “social robot” and to elicit defining characteristics of social robots within the context of present-day robotics. Methodology. The lexicographical method and classification were used. Results. The history of the term “social robot” is outlined; several approaches to defining the concept are analysed. An attempt to accentuate special features of social robots is made. The ability to interact with a human by means of human semiotic systems and with regard for the context of the situationis claimed to be the main characteristic of a social robot. Social robots are embed into the established classification of types of human-robot interaction as autonomous sociable partners. Practical implications. The results of the study contribute toьthe theoretical basis of the cross-disciplinary research field of social robotics and may be used by researchers. They may also be used as educational aid in teaching academic courses in social studies, robotics, ethics of technology, artificial intelligence, etc.

article

English
Russian

Science and Innovation Center Publishing House, 2016.

социальная робототехника, социальный робот, взаимодействие человека и робота, Social Sciences