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Press and media
Information for journalists, editors, and event organizers covering human-machine communication, social robots, and AI.
About the labs
The Communication and Social Robotics Labs are a cross-institutional research collaborative advancing human-machine communication (HMC): how people create meaning with and about robots, AI agents, and other technologies that function as communicators. Drawing on communication theory, social robotics, artificial intelligence, and related fields, we examine how perception shapes these interactions.
What we study
- Human-machine communication theory. How people and intelligent systems understand and respond to each other.
- Family. Robots at home: bonding, emotional support, and connection across generations.
- Robots in the classroom. Engagement, learning outcomes, and communication when machines help teach.
- Voice and robotic operating systems. Voice interfaces and robot platforms that support natural conversation.
- Privacy. Ethics, data protection, and trust in personal and social robot use.
- Crisis situations. Machine agents that support communication, safety, and decisions in emergencies.
Lab leadership
- Dr. Autumn Edwards, Western Michigan University
- Dr. Chad Edwards, Western Michigan University
- Dr. Patric Spence, University of Central Florida
The full team is listed on the People page, and recent work is on the News and Publications pages.
Photos
Photos may be used in news coverage of the labs with the credit "COMBOTLABS." Click a photo to download the full-size file.
