Publications

• Elias, A., & Galvez Trigo, M. (2024) Unveiling trust dynamics with a mobile service robot: Exploring various interaction styles for an agricultural task. 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, IEEE RO-MAN 2024, Pasadena, California, USA, 26-30 August 2024. [August 2024].

Presentations

• “Exploring trust towards TIAGo’s behaviour during the completion of an agriculture-related task” (poster) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Annual Conference 2022 [June 2022] – Lincoln, UK.
• “Exploring Trust Toward TIAGo’s Behavior During the Completion of an Agriculture-Related Task” (poster) – East Midlands ECR Robotics and Autonomous Systems Networking Event [September 2022] – Nottingham, UK.
• “Co-creation and trust to address regulatory, ethical and interactional challenges in Digital Farming” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Quarterly PhD Research Progress Meeting [January 2023] – Online.
• “The Preparation and dish up of an English Breakfast with Robots” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School 2023 [March 2023] – Lincoln, UK.
• “Co-Creation & Trust to Address Regulatory, Ethical and Interaction Challenges of HRI Adoption” (poster) – Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems (TAROS) 2023 / AgriFoRwArdS CDT Annual Conference 2023 / Joint Robotics CDT Annual Conference 2023 [September 2023] – Cambridge, UK.
• “Responsible Adoption (Ethical, Legal, Social, Environmental Aspects, Considerations)” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School: Robotic Phenotyping [July 2024] – Wageningen, The Netherlands.
• “Unveiling Trust Dynamics with a Mobile Service Robot: Exploring Various Interaction Styles for an Agricultural Task” (poster) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School: Robotic Phenotyping [July 2024] – Wageningen, The Netherlands.
• “Unveiling Trust Dynamics with a Mobile Service Robot: Exploring Various Interaction Styles for an Agricultural Task” (oral) – RO-MAN 2024 [August 2024] – Los Angeles, USA.

Other Activities and Outputs

• Contribution to the AgriFoRwArdS Student Blog – ECR Networking Event
• Contribution to the AgriFoRwArdS Student Blog – Workshop on the integration of Net Zero and Responsible Research and Innovation in designing Agri-Robotic technologies
• Contribution to the AgriFoRwArdS Student Blog – Drink Outside the Box
• Contribution to the AgriFoRwArdS Student Blog – FPC Futures Event 2023 Peterborough
• Contribution to the AgriFoRwArdS Student Blog – Robot Lab Live 2023
• Contribution to the AgriFoRwArdS Student Blog –Robocup 2023
• Organisation of Drink Outside the Box 2022/23
• Research Assistant on a project with Lincoln city council and the arts councils, called “Guiding Robot Guides”
• Competed in Robocup 2023.

About me

Hi I’m Alex, I am originally from Wales and I’ve spent the last 4 years studying in Bristol at the University of the West of England completing my BEng in Robotics. I applied for the CDT program which includes a year in Lincoln to complete my Masters which will start this October, I’m extremely passionate to be able to further my academic journey with this program as well as start my profession career. I am looking forward to starting this program as it will allow me to refine my skills while allowing me to focus on the area of agri-food robotics that I find most interesting.

MSc Project

Exploring trust towards TIAGo’s behaviour during the completion of an agricultural-related task

As fully autonomous systems are yet to be a viable solution for agricultural tasks the synergy between robots and humans is vital if they are going to be used within the agricultural sector. In this project, we address the importance of trust in human-robot interaction within the behaviour of TIAGo while it is completing an agricultural task. During an interaction with TIAGo, two sample groups will be monitored, one made up of the general public and the other made up of specialists in the field of robotics or agriculture, to help diversify findings and draw conclusions about contributing factors of trust in robots performing agricultural tasks.

PhD Project

Identifying Early Links in Adoption Success of Collaborative Robots within Industry

The main obstacles to the utilization of agricultural robots are to be identified in this research. With this, I will investigate ways to enhance the design of these systems and the way they are implemented while considering issues of regulation, law, ethics, accessibility, and user engagement. To avoid under- and over-trust, it will investigate the construct of trust in this area and examine enablers and inhibitors that may help create an environment where trust levels are suitable. From the start of this project, it will be expected that there will be a close collaboration with stakeholders and end users using a co-research and co-design methodology. Additionally, it is anticipated that ROS for Human-Robot Interaction (or ROS4HRI) will be utilized and contribute to its development, working closely with PAL Robotics. 

Although the potential contribution of robots to agriculture is large there are factors such as sustainability and social, legal, and ethical issues that threaten adoption. It is more than just the technical abilities of these robots that need to be researched and evaluated before they get integrated into an industrial setting.  

Throughout the PhD there are multiple different objectives that will be aimed to be met: 

• Systematic Review: On HRI studies in Digital farming.
• Trust: Robots lack an emotive state, which can make it hard to trust (expanding on MSc project)
• Health & Safety: Danger to workers or the public
• Regulation: Difficult to regulate a farm environment, and difficult to determine responsibility
• Social & Cultural: Some farmers are left behind, loss of culture, and new stress created by technology. 

Alex’s PhD project is being carried out in collaboration with MTC, under the primary supervision of Carolina Camacho Villa.