Activities

before the workshop

We want to know what the HRI community thinks about sustainability. If you work / study in HRI, please consider filling out this anonymous survey, and sharing it within your network: https://forms.gle/bYRj5G5QiZzF5ZZ28

Results will help us better understand what is the current "feeling" in the community about sustainability, and will be the starting point for the discussions in our workshop.

During the workshop

We plan to conduct the following activities:

Flash talks and panel discussions with invited experts

These initial conversations will set the ground for the current state of sustainability in robotic-related technology. The invited speakers are experts one of the 4 key thematic areas listed and located in Australia, who will share insights on the local context and efforts.

Science fiction prototyping group activity

Science fiction prototyping activity

Workshop participants will imagine a desirable future where HRI has contributed to achieving one, or more, aspects of sustainability-related goals in a "science fiction prototyping" activity. Together, we will outline the steps needed to realise this future, identifying key stakeholders and resources involved (e.g., people, energy, materials, social norms). We will also examine unsustainable practices—such as wasteful energy use, inequality, or short robot lifespans—and brainstorm sustainable alternatives, such as energy-efficient robots, durable hardware, or more inclusive design. Each group will create a vision of their future scenario, including its implications for both robots and human society. We will then work backward to identify the necessary steps or milestones, focusing on technological innovations, policy changes, and societal shifts required to make this vision a reality.

Joining forces and working towards a sustainability manifesto

We will discuss commonalities in the identified necessary steps and derive a “sustainability manifesto” (akin to e.g., [7]) for HRI. Our goal is to translate this manifesto into an actionable statement that researchers could use to check whether their research is sustainable, or contributes to sustainability, as detailed in our envisioned outcomes.

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