Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1: "Robots are great, but far away."

When people experience humanoid robots in 2017, they do not initially relate them directly to their own lives. They may believe that robots will eventually become important somewhere, but they cannot (or do not want to) imagine that humanoid robots will be part of their very personal lives, which could perhaps happen sooner than they think or want.

Question 1: How can humanoid robots influence their preception by humans?

More specifically, how can they shape the valence and intensity of their perception by humans in their favour, so that people accept the robots in the roles they represent in their respective scenarios and build relationships with them that are conducive to both humans and machines.

Hypothesis 2: "Robots change Society."

Humanoid robots will change the areas of the human society into which they are introduced. As their numbers and the variety of scenarios in which they are deployed increase, the changes brought by robots will be increasingly perceived by humans. The valence and intensity of this perception will significantly influence the attitude of humans towards humanoid robots.

Question 2: How can people be prepared for humanoid robots in their environment?

Specifically for the project HEART: How can people be prepared for teaching and learning with humanoid robots?

This refers to the use of the robot for quite regular tasks in the long run, which may have previously been done by a human. Therefore the culture and people must be led towards the acceptance of humanoid machines. This process takes time because human value systems do not change overnight.
The problem is that technological progress will produce humanoid machines much faster than culture can change. In other words, robots will enter society before it is prepared for it. The resulting changes will inevitably lead to conflicts.

Hypothesis 3: "Robots change me."

The personal concern of the existence and the action of humanoid robots in one’s own life situation changes the attitude of the person affected by them. The nature and degree of involvement influence the valence and intensity of the attitude.

Question 3: How can humanoid robots exist and act in a person's environment so that the person's attitude towards them is positive?

In principle, it is not a question of forcefully entering the life of the person concerned, but of giving people time to get used to the new artificial form of life in their sphere of life. Trustworthiness and predictability as well as patterns of behavior that are familiar to humans build step by step trust and a relationship. Cultivating positive relationships between humans and their humanoid machines will be one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

Hypothesis 4: "Robots can wear many masks."

Humanoid robots are actors that can and do play a variety of human roles. These roles can traditionally be occupied by humans. Robots will complement or displace people in their roles through their own roles.

Question 4: What happens to man and machine when the role allocation changes?

It is inevitable that certain human roles in everyday life will be fully or at least mainly taken over by humanoid machines. In the interest of a harmonious and productive coexistence, however, work must be done to ensure that people and machines complement each other more than they compete with each other.

Hypothesis 5: "Robots change teaching and learning."

As their didactic, emotional and multimodal skills increase, humanoid robots will increasingly qualify for roles in teaching and learning scenarios, especially assistance and counseling services.

For the foreseeable future, a displacement of humans by humanoid machines in these services will probably be mostly absent, since humans are still more robust and flexible concerning the necessary capabilities. Nevertheless, in addition to assistance and advice, further roles can be defined, such as: the technology ambassador who awakens particularly in learners the fascination for new technologies, especially robotics. Moreover, the robot as a teaching tool, e.g. as a programmable object in programming courses.

Question 5: How can the cooperation in teaching be shaped?

What parts do teachers, students and humanoid robots play? How do the roles of people and machines complement each other?
Universal answers to these questions should be difficult to find.
Rather, it must be assumed that the concrete teaching and learning situation has to be analyzed precisely in order to determine the appropriate role-making and role allocation for this scenario.