Designing Meaningful Human-Robot Interaction
As robots become more present in homes, healthcare, education, public spaces, and entertainment, designers must think beyond functionality and consider how people actually experience interacting with these systems. Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) explores how robots communicate, behave, and build trust with users through movement, speech, feedback, embodiment, and social presence. Poorly designed interactions can lead to confusion, frustration, or discomfort, while thoughtful human-centred design can make robots more intuitive, engaging, and supportive.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore core principles of Human-Robot Interaction from a UX perspective. Using real-world examples and interactive design activities, we will examine how people perceive and respond to robots, how trust and usability are shaped by robot behavior, and how designers can create interactions that are clear, inclusive, and emotionally appropriate. Participants will be introduced to key HRI concepts such as embodiment, social cues, multimodal interaction, feedback, and user expectations, and will apply these ideas through practical exercises focused on designing robot experiences for real contexts. The workshop will highlight how UX methods can help shape the future of human-robot systems in ways that are useful, ethical, and human-centred.
John E. Muñoz
John E. Muñoz, is an assistant professor in the User Experience Design Program at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he leads the BioAdaptive Research Lab. His work focuses on Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Robot Interaction, immersive technologies, wearable sensing, and physiologically adaptive systems. He designs and studies interactive systems that combine social robots, virtual reality, games, and biofeedback to support learning, health, and wellbeing. His research emphasizes human-centred design approaches for emerging technologies and explores how interactive systems can better respond to users’ behaviors, emotions, and needs.
