Since 2018, robot delivery services have been quietly rolling through UK neighbourhoods. Autonomous robots—for delivery, transport, cleaning, security and more—are on the increase in public spaces.
But what do these new machines mean for everyday life?
Join us for a fascinating talk exploring how the rise of autonomous robots is reshaping public space, social behaviour and design.
What to expect
This session will share findings from recent fieldwork studying real-world encounters between people and robots in public places.
You’ll hear about:
- How people make sense of and respond to public-service robots
- The diverse and sometimes surprising ways these interactions unfold
- The behind-the-scenes work people do to accommodate robots into shared environments
- What this all means for the future of home delivery, civic life and urban design
You’ll also learn about practical frameworks developed by the research team that help guide the design of both robots and the public spaces they operate in.
Who should attend?
This talk will be of interest to:
- Designers, developers working in robotics, AI or urban tech
- Urban planners, policy makers and transport specialists
- Academics and students in design, sociology, technology and public space
- Anyone curious about the future of city life, automation and civic interaction
Whether you’re building the tech, shaping the space, or just navigating it on foot—this session will challenge and inspire your thinking!
About the speaker
Dr Stuart Reeves is Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science, and is a member of the Mixed Reality Lab and Horizon Research Institute.
His research interests span human-computer interaction, collaborative computing, and design research.
Stuart is primarily concerned with understanding interactional practices with and around technologies, systems and infrastructures, employing an approach that is strongly informed by ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (EMCA).
