An Open-Source Robotic Study Companion for University Students
Date
2023
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
This thesis presents an evidence-based approach and develops an affordable and effective Robotic
Study Companion (RSC) prototype for university students. It addresses the lack of social robots
tailored to higher education and the scarcity of open-source educational platforms. Through a
comprehensive literature review on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), social and companion
robots, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies, this work identifies trends and best
practices for educational social robots.
The research systematically reviews select social robots, examining their applications, technical
features, design, and human-centric interaction. It explores the human perspective of HRI,
focusing on users in educational settings. Based on these insights, functional and non-functional
requirements are established for the RSC, inspiring its design and development. The RSC
prototype, built using off-the-shef components and leveraging OpenAI's large language models,
demonstrates its potential to simplify complex concepts for students. The long-term goal is to
enhance the RSC's design, durability, and commercial viability.
Description
Keywords
Robotic Study Companion (RSC), Social Robot, Natural Language Processing (NLP), University Students