With the robot Oskar from Navel Robotics, Pepper has now received reinforcement in the behavioral science research laboratory at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. The new robot expands the possibilities in research and education, especially in the field of human-robot interaction and digital technologies. There is a particular focus on affective computing, i.e. the recognition and processing of emotions by technical systems. Together, Pepper and Oskar provide practical insights into current developments in robotics and open up new perspectives for innovative research projects.
The acquisition and use of the robot is made possible by funding from the HAW-direkt 2025 program of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs and Health. The "Humanoid Robots and Affective Computing" project is headed by Prof. Dr. Gerhard Raab.
The research builds on existing work: In 2023, three field studies were conducted with the robot Pepper to investigate the acceptance and sustainable application possibilities of humanoid robotics. The studies took place at the Wilhelm Hack Museum in Ludwigshafen, at the Ludwigshafen Film Festival and at the "SENTA" day care facility run by the ecumenical social care center in Ludwigshafen.
In future, the aim is to investigate how people react to emotionally active robotic systems and in which contexts their use is particularly useful and accepted. Students will be given the opportunity to actively work with the robots as part of their courses and implement their own research projects. In this way, the project contributes to the design of future human-technology interactions.
