Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators

Randy Gomez; Eleanor Sandry; Selma Šabanović; Deborah Szapiro; Vicky Charisi; Daniel Serrano; Thomas H. Weisswange; Matthew P. Aylett; Guangliang Li; Pourang Irani; Eric Nichols; Luis Merino

doi:10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7

Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators

Randy Gomez, Eleanor Sandry, Selma Šabanović, Deborah Szapiro, Vicky Charisi, Daniel Serrano, Thomas H. Weisswange, Matthew P. Aylett, Guangliang Li, Pourang Irani, Eric Nichols, Luis Merino^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Robots are becoming increasingly pervasive in our lives, evolving from service and security robots to social robots that build bonds and personal relationship with their human counterparts. We are witnessing a growing trend of robots being embedded within various groups and demographics. This paper presents social robots that mediate relationships between individuals, groups, and society as a whole, which we refer to as embodied mediators. These embodied mediators cater not only to individual needs, but also to communal and societal needs. As we develop these new types of robots with the potential to significantly impact society, it is imperative to establish guiding principles that ensure their safe and beneficial integration. This paper proposes three principles for embodied mediation that consider social underpinnings and extend beyond theory and into practice through use case scenarios currently under development.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024
Editors	Oskar Palinko, Leon Bodenhagen, John-John Cabibihan, Kerstin Fischer, Selma Šabanović, Katie Winkle, Laxmidhar Behera, Shuzhi Sam Ge, Dimitrios Chrysostomou, Wanyue Jiang, Hongsheng He
Publisher	Springer
Pages	78-90
Number of pages	13
ISBN (Electronic)	9789819635252
ISBN (Print)	9789819635245
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7
Publication status	Published - 25 Mar 2025
Event	16th International Conference on Social Robotics 2024 - Odense, Denmark Duration: 23 Oct 2024 → 26 Oct 2024

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Volume	15563
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	16th International Conference on Social Robotics 2024
Abbreviated title	ICSR + AI 2024
Country/Territory	Denmark
City	Odense
Period	23/10/24 → 26/10/24

Keywords

cyber-physical society
embodied mediators
group interaction
mediator robot
social embedding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Theoretical Computer Science
General Computer Science

Access to Document

10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7

Cite this

Gomez, R., Sandry, E., Šabanović, S., Szapiro, D., Charisi, V., Serrano, D., Weisswange, T. H., Aylett, M. P., Li, G., Irani, P., Nichols, E., & Merino, L. (2025). Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators. In O. Palinko, L. Bodenhagen, J.-J. Cabibihan, K. Fischer, S. Šabanović, K. Winkle, L. Behera, S. S. Ge, D. Chrysostomou, W. Jiang, & H. He (Eds.), Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024 (pp. 78-90). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 15563). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7

Gomez, Randy ; Sandry, Eleanor ; Šabanović, Selma et al. / Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators. Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024. editor / Oskar Palinko ; Leon Bodenhagen ; John-John Cabibihan ; Kerstin Fischer ; Selma Šabanović ; Katie Winkle ; Laxmidhar Behera ; Shuzhi Sam Ge ; Dimitrios Chrysostomou ; Wanyue Jiang ; Hongsheng He. Springer, 2025. pp. 78-90 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

@inproceedings{e89ea7c1264a4c90a6bb2c12a9b77be0,

title = "Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators",

abstract = "Robots are becoming increasingly pervasive in our lives, evolving from service and security robots to social robots that build bonds and personal relationship with their human counterparts. We are witnessing a growing trend of robots being embedded within various groups and demographics. This paper presents social robots that mediate relationships between individuals, groups, and society as a whole, which we refer to as embodied mediators. These embodied mediators cater not only to individual needs, but also to communal and societal needs. As we develop these new types of robots with the potential to significantly impact society, it is imperative to establish guiding principles that ensure their safe and beneficial integration. This paper proposes three principles for embodied mediation that consider social underpinnings and extend beyond theory and into practice through use case scenarios currently under development.",

keywords = "cyber-physical society, embodied mediators, group interaction, mediator robot, social embedding",

author = "Randy Gomez and Eleanor Sandry and Selma {\v S}abanovi{\'c} and Deborah Szapiro and Vicky Charisi and Daniel Serrano and Weisswange, {Thomas H.} and Aylett, {Matthew P.} and Guangliang Li and Pourang Irani and Eric Nichols and Luis Merino",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.; 16th International Conference on Social Robotics 2024, ICSR + AI 2024 ; Conference date: 23-10-2024 Through 26-10-2024",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7",

language = "English",

isbn = "9789819635245",

series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science",

publisher = "Springer",

pages = "78--90",

editor = "Oskar Palinko and Leon Bodenhagen and John-John Cabibihan and Kerstin Fischer and Selma {\v S}abanovi{\'c} and Katie Winkle and Laxmidhar Behera and Ge, {Shuzhi Sam} and Dimitrios Chrysostomou and Wanyue Jiang and Hongsheng He",

booktitle = "Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024",

}

Gomez, R, Sandry, E, Šabanović, S, Szapiro, D, Charisi, V, Serrano, D, Weisswange, TH, Aylett, MP, Li, G, Irani, P, Nichols, E & Merino, L 2025, Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators. in O Palinko, L Bodenhagen, J-J Cabibihan, K Fischer, S Šabanović, K Winkle, L Behera, SS Ge, D Chrysostomou, W Jiang & H He (eds), Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 15563, Springer, pp. 78-90, 16th International Conference on Social Robotics 2024, Odense, Denmark, 23/10/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7

Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators. / Gomez, Randy; Sandry, Eleanor; Šabanović, Selma et al.
Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024. ed. / Oskar Palinko; Leon Bodenhagen; John-John Cabibihan; Kerstin Fischer; Selma Šabanović; Katie Winkle; Laxmidhar Behera; Shuzhi Sam Ge; Dimitrios Chrysostomou; Wanyue Jiang; Hongsheng He. Springer, 2025. p. 78-90 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 15563).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators

AU - Gomez, Randy

AU - Sandry, Eleanor

AU - Šabanović, Selma

AU - Szapiro, Deborah

AU - Charisi, Vicky

AU - Serrano, Daniel

AU - Weisswange, Thomas H.

AU - Aylett, Matthew P.

AU - Li, Guangliang

AU - Irani, Pourang

AU - Nichols, Eric

AU - Merino, Luis

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

PY - 2025/3/25

Y1 - 2025/3/25

N2 - Robots are becoming increasingly pervasive in our lives, evolving from service and security robots to social robots that build bonds and personal relationship with their human counterparts. We are witnessing a growing trend of robots being embedded within various groups and demographics. This paper presents social robots that mediate relationships between individuals, groups, and society as a whole, which we refer to as embodied mediators. These embodied mediators cater not only to individual needs, but also to communal and societal needs. As we develop these new types of robots with the potential to significantly impact society, it is imperative to establish guiding principles that ensure their safe and beneficial integration. This paper proposes three principles for embodied mediation that consider social underpinnings and extend beyond theory and into practice through use case scenarios currently under development.

AB - Robots are becoming increasingly pervasive in our lives, evolving from service and security robots to social robots that build bonds and personal relationship with their human counterparts. We are witnessing a growing trend of robots being embedded within various groups and demographics. This paper presents social robots that mediate relationships between individuals, groups, and society as a whole, which we refer to as embodied mediators. These embodied mediators cater not only to individual needs, but also to communal and societal needs. As we develop these new types of robots with the potential to significantly impact society, it is imperative to establish guiding principles that ensure their safe and beneficial integration. This paper proposes three principles for embodied mediation that consider social underpinnings and extend beyond theory and into practice through use case scenarios currently under development.

KW - cyber-physical society

KW - embodied mediators

KW - group interaction

KW - mediator robot

KW - social embedding

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105002145924&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7

DO - 10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:105002145924

SN - 9789819635245

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science

SP - 78

EP - 90

BT - Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024

A2 - Palinko, Oskar

A2 - Bodenhagen, Leon

A2 - Cabibihan, John-John

A2 - Fischer, Kerstin

A2 - Šabanović, Selma

A2 - Winkle, Katie

A2 - Behera, Laxmidhar

A2 - Ge, Shuzhi Sam

A2 - Chrysostomou, Dimitrios

A2 - Jiang, Wanyue

A2 - He, Hongsheng

PB - Springer

T2 - 16th International Conference on Social Robotics 2024

Y2 - 23 October 2024 through 26 October 2024

ER -

Gomez R, Sandry E, Šabanović S, Szapiro D, Charisi V, Serrano D et al. Three Principles for Social Robots as Embodied Mediators. In Palinko O, Bodenhagen L, Cabibihan JJ, Fischer K, Šabanović S, Winkle K, Behera L, Ge SS, Chrysostomou D, Jiang W, He H, editors, Social Robotics. ICSR + AI 2024. Springer. 2025. p. 78-90. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). doi: 10.1007/978-981-96-3525-2_7