Projects
Developing an artificial Theory of Mind
As scientific advances move AI and robotics into ever closer contact with human beings, there is a growing need for artificial agents become more socially attuned and capable.
A major milestone in human social functioning is the development of the ability to recognise and reason about the perspectives of others, called Theory of Mind (ToM). An AI robot with a ToM capability would be able to adjust its behaviour sensitively to the social context in much the same way human beings do.
However before this vision can be realised, we urgently need a more detailed understanding of how ToM really arises in humans and how the underlying mechanisms may be instilled into robotic systems.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) application #
Children with autism often struggle with the social interactions. While there a variety of evidence based interventions that can help children learn key social skills, there is a major lack of trained therapists and even when available it is expensive.
Developing an AI robot that could teach key social skills would increase access to therapeutic opportunities to many more children in a more cost effective way.
This University of Bristol (UoB) PhD project is exploring how an 'off the shelf' robot can be deployed in homes and schools to help children learn key social skills.
