Speakers
Leiden University
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Dr. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga is Associate Professor and Director of Research at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University (NL). He is an ERC Laureate who investigates the legal and regulatory aspects of robot and AI technologies, focusing on healthcare, governance, diversity, and privacy. He is the Principal Investigator of the ERC Starting Grant SAFE & SOUND, where he works on science for robot policies. He is also the group leader of eLaw’s contribution to the Horizon Europe BIAS Project: Mitigating Diversity Biases of AI in the Labour Market and the Horizon Europe AI:Liner: Data-driven sewer asset management: a path toward the resilient transformation of Europe’s sewer infrastructure. He also received the EU Safety Product Gold Award for his contribution to making robots safer by including diversity considerations.
Aalborg University and RA Capital
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Dr. Elizabeth Jochum is the Director of Robotics and Automation at RA Capital Management. She holds a joint appointment as associate professor at Aalborg University and co-leads the Arts, Health, and Humanities research group. Dr. Jochum’s research leverages the visual and performing arts as catalysts for re-thinking how we design and implement robots and other assistive technologies. From industrial robots to exoskeletons, Dr. Jochum’s work involves transdisciplinary collaboration in human-robot interaction, health, and engineering to develop creative, value-sensitive, and human-centered approaches to ensure the technologies we build address the real needs of people.
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Germany)
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Eva Heinold is an ergonomics researcher specializing in human-robot interaction at the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and a PhD candidate in mobile robotics. Her work focuses on the design and use of robotic systems in ways that promote safety, health, and human-centered work. Her research has included extensive work for EU-OSHA as part of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign, with a particular emphasis on the implications of robotics and AI for occupational safety and health. Her current research fields include mobile robotics, ergonomics, and the development of work systems that are both innovative and human-centered. She is also a contributing author to the forthcoming book Ergonomics in Robotics: Advances and Innovations.
Patient-led Research Collaborative
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Dr. Signe Redfield is a robotics researcher on disability retirement due to Long Covid. Her background includes multi-robot systems, autonomy architectures and behaviors for limited communications environments (space and underwater), and verification of autonomy. She is a past Co-Chair of the IEEE RAS TCs on Verification of Autonomous Systems (VAS) and Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking (PEBRAS) and is the Chair of IEEE standard development working group P2817, “Guide for Verification of Autonomous Systems,” expected later this year. Her current interests include behavior specification and robots for in-home care and support.
Hello Robot
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As an occupational therapist at Hello Robot, V has developed holistic ways the Stretch mobile manipulator can empower people with and without disabilities to participate in their meaningful daily activities with greater functional performance and independence. Her main field of interest is advocating for accessibility in healthcare, community spaces, and technology to reach the needs of underserved and rural populations. V is driven by the stories and experiences of individuals who use Stretch to enable their independence and quality of life, which fuels her research and commitment to the field. Outside of her work with Stretch, V enjoys a variety of ‘occupations’: baking for her community, daydreaming about sushi, cycling, and telling prolific, corny jokes.