Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/1385717
LEAD RESEARCHER: EMILY C. COLLINS Since January 2018 I have worked as an HRI (Human- Robot Interaction) specialist on the RAIN Project, at first within Computer Science at the University of Liverpool, and since July 2020 within Computer Science at the University of Manchester. My work uses a mixed- methods approach, covering both qualitative and quantitative methodologies drawing inspiration from across academic and industry sectors. I have made use of the academic and industry collaborations within RAIN as it provides essential real-world context to any work done in an academic laboratory. In addition to this I have been exploring new ways to approach nuclear decommissioning risk mitigation consideration. INTERDISCIPLINARY HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION 16 UNIQUENESS // My interdisciplinary approach to HRI has allowed me to approach problems with potential solutions that often seem far removed from the task at hand. For example, exploring how context will alter a person's subjective opinion of the same collision avoidance software, given how much control they desire to have. SUMMARY // HRI is a broad subject, encompassing esoteric aspects of interactions with robotics and autonomous systems such as trustworthiness, perception and communica- tion, as well as more tangible explorations of the HRI system, including virtual and augmented reality opti- misation, developments within teleoperation, haptics, shared control and testing methods in particular those covered in human factors. The use of technological assistance on nuclear sites must prioritise safety and critical risk mitigation. This requires extensive verification and validation of the systems in use, and presently the onus falls on maintaining humans-in-the-loop for control and oversight. This means that the systems being tested and verified encompass both the technology and the human user. Comprehensive HRI techniques are therefore essential for developing robotic solutions for the nuclear industry: what a piece of technology, or a robot, will do in a given situation cannot be adequately assessed until it is done so with a user and their environment in mind.