Robot Quarter 4.0: An Urban Test Ground for Learning, Living, and Working with Service Robots

Abstract

This paper presents the blueprint for an urban quarter where citizens and robots can learn from each other, and co-work. To fully integrate within human social life and environment, robots needs to observe, experience, and adapt to human action. On the other hand, humans need to learn how to co-exist with increasingly intelligent machinery within complex environments, and modify their behavior in accord with this new population. For this purpose, we have designed a plat-form that brings human and robots together in a synergetic and social manner. To enable mutual learning and experiencing, we present the design of a so-called Robot Quarter 4.0 as an urban testbed for human-robot coexistence. Developed for a specific site in the city of Offenbach and targeting at real estate development dedicated to modern technology-based work and life style, the concept was abstracted into a generic urban prototype for a Living Lab for technological as well as social investigation. From it specifications for software development, robot engineering, as well as for work organization can be derived from a new (urban) level of a scale Human-Machine-Interaction.