The Role of Mentalizing and Theory of Mind in Human- Robot Interactions

Project description

CRADLE is an EPSRC funded Prosperity Partnership that brings together the industrial experience that Jacobs have in applied robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) with the research expertise at the University of Manchester in this field. The partnership aims to deliver novel and transformational RAS technology that enables robots to be deployed in the most demanding environments, such as space, nuclear, energy generation and urban infrastructure, over long lengths of time. In some of these settings, robots will need to be designed to work in collaboration with humans (human robot interaction).

People are prone to anthropomorphize (i.e. assign human qualities to) the many non-human entities with which they interact (objects, animals, etc.). This is particularly evident in the robot domain, where the majority of popular culture references involve robots taking human-like forms and engaging in human-like interactions. Thus, when designing for human-robot interactions, we may want to look to the cognitive tools that govern human-to-human interactions.

Mentalising and theory of mind are two terms used to describe the thinking we do about the mental activities of another ??? these include the attributions and assumptions we make about others??? mental and emotional states, their beliefs, thoughts and intentions.

This project involves the development and application of mentalizing and/or theory of mind (ToM) to human-robot interactions. With respect to one or more target mental activities, this research will explore the models that humans form about the cognition and affect of robots, the degree to which this aligns with the models we form about other humans, and the role these models play in shaping human-robot interactions. This is a broad topic area that may be of particular interest to students who want to establish their own research agenda within the specified context.

You will need experience and interests in human-computer interaction or a related discipline (e.g. human-robot interaction, psychology) for this PhD. While this project is open to overseas students, CRADLE funding will only cover UK Home Student Fees. You will need to look for and apply for additional funding to cover the difference between overseas fees and home student fees. Please find this link for guidance on tuition fees: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/programmes/list/02954/phd-computer-science/

All projects will be supervised by academics at the University of Manchester and experts in the application of robotic systems at Jacobs, and they will all contain a significant focus on the design and development of practical robotic demonstrators.