Thesis Announcements

Handshaking as a synchronous haptic interaction that takes place between humans. A person’s characteristics and mood can additionally be displayed through this sense of touch. To enable a natural interaction with a robot, it is important for a robot to be able to sense the partner during handshaking and respond adequately in a synchronous manner. The aim of this thesis would be to explore and develop haptic emotional behaviours for Human-Robot Handshaking.

One way to alleviate the need for teaching different robots individually is by using teleoperation. Typically, human demonstrations can be captured by skeleton tracking with VR or motion capture, which requires special hardware. Can the use of simple videos combined with deep learning and AI achieve similar results which can be generalized?

Digitalization and AI offer extensive opportunities for companies' marketing activities. However, these new algorithms are also associated with a number of challenges. The suggested topics in the attached PDF are intended to shed light on these aspects.

In HR recruitment, it is today more necessary than ever to address potential employees in a targeted and uncomplicated manner. Popular dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, could serve as a good orientation.

This thesis pursues the goal of joining a currently running App development process. The brand and design already exists. This thesis attempts to have a critical view on what has been done from a (a) marketing perspective, (b) HR perspective, or (c) programming perspective.

This thesis is a practical company thesis in cooperation with leap in time GmbH.

The arrival of social robots in work teams is only a matter of time. But such robots – like any new team member – must be integrated into their teams to ensure their successful and sustainable use. Exemplary research questions are: What do we already know about the integration of new team members in all-human work teams? What are important factors for the integration of robotic team members in mixed human-robot teams (HRTs)? And what are fruitful areas for future research on robot integration in work teams?

The world of work is changing in many areas. In particular, the Corona pandemic ensured that teams could not work together physically for a long time but were only connected virtually. The physical separation has changed the way team members communicate with each other. New solutions had to be found. This raises the question of what types of communication are relevant to successful teamwork today.

Before field experiments can deliver valid data, it is crucial to specify the research design and important aspects that need to be considered for maximum success – especially in a business context where several stake-holders are involved. In this thesis, concrete recommendations will be developed to conduct a real-life field experiment involving humanoid and android robots in business teams.

With advancing digitization also comes a greater responsibility that not only involves technical performance and safety but also social aspects and more concrete ethics. In order to shed more light on this important topic, this thesis should aim at providing insights that can help to answer a number of research questions, including

- What do we already know about ethical aspects of placing technology, such as robots, in teams?

- How do ethics for all-human teams and ethics for human-robot teams fit together?

- What are important ethical considerations for future research on and deployment of human-robot teams?

Digitalization and COVID-19 led to a major shift on how we actually work and will work in the future. The suggested topics in the attached PDF are intended to shed light on these aspects. The topics cover all exciting areas of HR work of the future: from AI-based recruiting and leadership to digital work opportunities.