Laboratory of Informatics and Robotics Applications in Education and Society - LIRES

 

The Laboratory of Informatics and Robotics Applications in Education and Society - LIRES (Government Gazette Issue B '4630 / 28.12.2017), of the Department of Educational and Social Policy, focuses on teaching, research and scientific needs related to state-of-the-art applications of Informatics and Robotics in Education and Society. The research areas of the laboratory are: Human-robot interaction, design of robots, development prototypes of robotic entities for social support applications (Socially Assistive Robotics) based on stakeholders’ needs, educational robotics, utilization of robotic technologies in the development of skills and strategies, digital transformation for Sustainable Development Education, etc.

LIRES members (members of PAMAK and other universities, PhD candidates and external researchers) implement national and European projects, with publications in scientific journals / conferences and awards in international competitions. It is a multidisciplinary group, consisting of Engineers, Psychologists, Teachers, Architects, Social Scientists and STEM experts. LIRES is well-equipped in infrastructure, software, and material for the development of robotic components, robotic systems, and robotic system technologies. In addition, with continuous participation in competitive research and development programs, funded by the EU, the G.G.E.T. and industrial partners, LIRES has an excellent know-how in a wide range of objects, from design and implementation of robotic systems, with social, pedagogical, and industrial character.

As part of the STIMEY program - Science Technology Innovation Mathematics Engineering for the Young (HORIZON2020 H2020-SEAC-2015-1, Grant Agreement number: 709515), the LIRES laboratory designed and developed two social interaction robots to support students in STEM objects. One of the LIRES robot prototypes, won third place in the IDA2018 (Los Angeles) international competition in the educational technology category. The Daisy robot, developed for educational applications for people on the Autism spectrum with the aim of acquiring social skills, has won the TELLUS 2015 award for innovative technologies in education (Paris 2015). The workshop, by invitation, participated in the exhibition "Tech for Social Good" held at the European Parliament (November 2018), the first national mission of Greece at CES Las Vegas (January 2019), at TIF 2018, etc.

The LIRES laboratory supports the Postgraduate Program "Sciences of Education and Lifelong Learning" in the implementation of research with the development of technological and software components:

- Development of an application in the NAO robot for the support of

-patients in the outpatient clinics of a pediatric clinic,

-adults in learning the Pontic dialect

-COVID-19 distance learning applications with university students

- Development of an application to the Daisy robot to support students on the Autism spectrum for research in schools

The LIRES laboratory also supports social actions in collaboration with services and social organizations. At the same time, it collaborates  with the Robotics Academy of UoM, whose courses are attended by students of all ages throughout Greece.

Available equipment / Infrastructure to be used in the project:

The laboratory has:

•3 humanoid robots NAO Aldebaran, 2 Pepper Softbank Robots

•  A student Social Support Robot in STEM: STIMEY robot

• Social Support Robots for people on the Autism spectrum: Margarita

• Social Interaction Robot: Pleo robot Dinosaur

• 2 state-of-the-art dual-head 3D printers for printing robotic mechanical parts: Sigma R19 BCN3D

• Industrial 6 degree freedom arm: Racer 3 COMAU.

• Training robotics set: EV3

• Arduino automation and training robotics set

 

Email lires.lab@uom.edu.gr

Laboratory Webpage: http://lires.uom.gr/