The Robot Companion workshop, coordinated by Dirk Loyens and Shujoy Chakraborty, within the Master's in Product Design, explored the embodiment of AI through social robotics designed to relieve mental stress home isolation scenarios.

This workshop explored the application of product semantic theory for deriving appropriate shape codes for a companion robot. The workshop was closing orientated by both teachers and the students presented concept proposals designed to accompany a specific ritual of everyday domestic life in the COVID-19, working from home or a social distanced reality.

Dirk Loyens is lecturer at ESAD in Product Design and senior researcher at ESAD-IDEA. His research focus is on product design in the context of climate change. He also works as a consultant for product development in the industry.

Shujoy Chakraborty is a lecturer of product design in the University of Madeira and an affiliate faculty member of the LARSyS Research Unit (LAboratory of Robotics and SYStems in Engineering and Science). With research in product semantics, human product interaction, innovation theory and design process theory.

Créditos