continuing education
Contact info
UniTartu Summer School
Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu
Liis Mulk
Specialist for the UniTartu Summer School
International Cooperation and Protocol Office

Designing Social Robots for Human Interaction

The intersection of humans and robots has become increasingly critical as society integrates robotics into everyday life. This course offers an in-depth exploration of social robotics, a branch of robotics that involves the design, development, and study of robots that interact and communicate with humans or other robots in a socially meaningful manner. Participants will investigate concepts such as robot design for social interaction, ethical considerations, and real-world applications using various robot platforms as hands-on case studies.

General course information

Course dates27 July - 7 August, 2026 (two-week course, 10 study days)
Course fee650 EUR
Course formatsummer course
Study fieldRobotics, Artificial Intelligence
LanguageEnglish
Study groupbachelor's, master's and PhD students
Assessment/ECTSPass/Fail (3ECTS)
Location

Tartu

University of Tartu Delta Centre,
Narva mnt 18

Course description

This course introduces participants to the foundational principles of human-robot interaction (HRI) with a focus on social robotics (SR) in education. Through a blend of lectures, practical workshops, and group assignments, participants will:

  • Explore the design and development of social robots.

  • Learn how to evaluate and refine robots’ social capabilities.

  • Learn basic design and research methods in HRI-SR.

  • Engage in hands-on programming and customisation of robot platforms for various HRI-SR scenarios.

  • Publish a short contribution in an academic conference.

The course combines theory with practical, multidisciplinary approaches. Students will examine the implications of social robotics in various domains while gaining insights into the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics.

Course lecturers

Course lecturerDescription
Farnaz Baksh
Social Robotics Researcher 		Junior Research Fellow in Computer Engineering at the University of Tartu Institute of Technology. Farnaz leads the development of an open-source robotic study companion to enhance university learning through multimodal human-robot interaction.
Matevž Borjan Zorec
Robotics Engineer		Junior Research Fellow of Distributed Systems at the University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science. His research integrates IoT, AI, and robotics. Matevž has co-developed the award-winning social robot study companion, advocating for open-source, ethical, and user-friendly innovation.
Karl Kruusamäe
Robotics Professor		Professor of Human-Centred Robotics at the University of Tartu Institute of Technology. His research focuses on human-robot collaboration, educational robotics, and social robotics. Kruusamäe also leads efforts in creating Estonia's first humanoid robot, SemuBot, an open-source platform designed to advance social robotics in the region.

Study information

Basic programming skills (e.g., Git, Bash, Python (MLOps), Embedded C/C++).
Familiarity with robotics concepts is recommended.
Interest in interdisciplinary applications of AI and robotics.

NB! This is a preliminary programme. The final schedule will be sent to the participants two weeks before the course starts.

Day 1: Monday, 27 July

Info session

Icebreaker activity

Course overview
Introduction to HRI and social robotics

Day 2: Tuesday, 28 July

Research and design methods in HRI-social robotics
Prototyping (Computer-aided design and 3D printing)

Day 3: Wednesday, 29 July

State-of-the-art in HRI research
Designing for anthropomorphism
Prototyping (hands-on programming)

Day 4: Thursday, 30 July

Multimodality in HRI-social robotics
MLOps fundamentals
Workshop (interaction design for social robots)

Day 5: Friday, 31 July

Privacy, ethics and security in HRI-social robotics
Case studies in various domains
Scenario-based challenges release (group project starter pack)

Saturday, 1 August: free day
Sunday, 2 August: free day

Day 8: Monday, 3 August

User-centred design principles for HRI-social robotics
Group project ideation and discussions

Day 7: Tuesday, 4 August

HRI-SR in smart environments (IoT-SR)
Project work: prototyping, testing, implementation

Day 8: Wednesday, 5 August

Scientific reporting for HRI-social robotics
Experiment testing and project work

Day 9: Thursday, 6 August

Present preliminary experiment work
Consultation with HRI-SR experts

Day 10: Friday, 7 August

Final presentations
Wrap-up and reflections

  1. Recommended Reading: Human-Robot Interaction (https://www.human-robot-interaction.org/)
  2. Hands-on prototyping tasks: CAD, 3D printing and programming AIoT.

  3. Group project: Develop and present (poster + demo) a robot prototype that addresses a societal need, evaluating its functionality, interaction design, and societal impact.

    In the second week, students will be divided into groups of 3-4 to work on a group project. Students will have the opportunity to select one scenario challenge from a project pool and present their solutions. Lecturers and guest experts will be available for consultation. The deliverables of the group work include a presentation and a report. We will extend the work with solutions nominated for publication.

By the end of the course, students will:

  • understand key concepts in human-robot interaction (HRI) and the design principles behind socially interactive robots;
  • be able to design and implement various design and research methods in HRI scenarios;
  • program and customise a social robot for specific interaction scenarios;
  • gain a basic understanding of MLOps and AIoT concepts;
  • demonstrate knowledge of the ethical and societal implications of deploying social robots in various domains;
  • collaboratively develop and present a prototype robot application addressing a real-world social challenge.

Course registration info

  • Application period: 20 March – 20 April
  • Notification of acceptance: accepted participants will be informed after the application period, by 30 April at the latest
  • Deadline for paying the course fee: 31 May
  • UniTartu Summer School in Tartu: 27 July – 7 August

Only fully completed applications, including all required annexes, received by the deadline (20 April) will be considered for selection.

Applicants must submit the following:

  • Online application form
    (application period: 20 March–20 April 2026)
  • Motivation letter (maximum 1 page), explaining:
    • your motivation to participate;
    • your expectations for the programme;
    • how the summer course relates to your studies and interests;
    • how you plan to use the knowledge and experience gained in the future.
  • Transcript of academic records
  • Copy of your passport
  • Proof of the the application fee payment (25 EUR)

The participants of the UniTartu Summer School courses are required to pay:

  • The application fee of 25 EUR must be paid by the application deadline (20 April) at the latest.
    The application fee is non-refundable.
  • The course fee is 650 EUR.
    Includes: Study materials, academic work with lecturers, Certificate of completion, and cultural events in the evenings
    Not included: meals, transportation and accommodation

Please note that the course fee is payable only after you have been accepted into the course. Once accepted, you will receive a confirmation of acceptance together with an invoice. The course fee can only be paid based on the invoice issued to you.

By paying the application fee, course fee and cultural events fee, you accept the terms and conditions information document. You are required to tick the box in the credit card payment form to confirm you have read and agree to terms and conditions. If you choose to pay by bank transfer, you will be informed of the same conditions.

Please note that by paying the fees, you are considered to have accepted the Terms and Conditions.

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