During the workshop, participants engaged in two rounds of breakout room discussions; first, to identity challenges in the design, measurement, and ethics of studies on child-robot relationship formation, followed by brainstorming of solutions. Across these discussions, several common themes arose. First, the importance of long-term interaction repeatedly emerged as one of the biggest obstacles currently facing the CRI community. Second, the need for robotic systems which are both robust to child interactions and transparent in terms of capabilities was highlighted (including the relative benefits and costs of Wizard of Oz vs autonomous systems). Third, the significance of involving children (and other relevant stakeholders) throughout the experimental process was emphasised. Finally, suggestions were made for how to facilitate multidisciplinary collaborations to improve accessibility and visibility of research findings. These discussions highlight how CRI researchers can unite to address challenges which are present throughout the field. We hope that some of the ideas fostered in this workshop will encourage both current and future CRI researchers to think critically about the design, measurement, and ethical implications of child-robot-interaction, and work together towards developing and sharing resources which can benefit the community as a whole.

Want to know more about the outcomes of this workshop? Visit the dedicated Outcomes page.