The growing need to automate daily tasks combined with new robot technologies are driving the development of human-friendly robots, i.e., safe and dependable machines, operating in the close vicinity to humans or directly interacting with persons in a wide range of domains. The technology shift from classical industrial robots, which are safely kept away from humans in cages, to robots, which will be used in close collaboration with humans, requires major technological challenges that need to be overcome.
The objective of the workshop is to share knowledge between young researchers on Human-Friendly Robotics (HFR) from design and control towards safety and ethical issues involving the introduction of robots into everyday life.