Pepper, Jibo and Milo make up the first generation of social robots, leading what promises to be a cohort with diverse capabilities and future applications. But what are social robots and what should they be able to do? This article gives an overview of theories that can help us understand social robotics better.

Thosha Moodley visits Decos’ futuristic development lab and is greeted by a familiar face: Softbank’s Pepper robot, newly employed as a receptionist.

Robotics and artificial intelligence enthusiast Thosha Moodley gives a summery of her experience at European Robotics Week 2016’s central event in Amsterdam, where the theme was service robots.