PRIVOBOT – Privacy in Presence of Robots Deployed in Intelligent Environments

Acquisition of different robots for the development of usable solutions to better protect privacy.

Digitization is widely recognized as one of the key factors to improve the quality of life in our modern society. Based on the intelligent combination of data from both the physical world and cyberspace, a wide variety of new services can be implemented. The integration of these data into the digital world contributes to the realization of the vision of so-called intelligent environments, ranging from smart spaces to smart cities, communities and beyond.

Diese Technologien erfordern jedoch die Sammlung, Verarbeitung und Weiterleitung von Numerous social and economic benefits can result from the technological equipment of rooms and the support of robots. For example, older adults can be supported through the use of robots and thus live alone longer at home. This not only promotes their health and well-being, but also enables, for example, potential cost savings and a reduction in the use of mobile care workers, which in turn can contribute to climate protection. Similarly, companies and government agencies can benefit from smart workplaces. Especially in the post-pandemic period, such an intelligent environment with robot(s) can lead to a better and more seamless integration of workers working remotely. Such an infrastructure can not only promote internal communication, but also reduce daily commuting and compensate for a possible shortage of skilled workers in rural areas.

However, these technologies require the collection, processing and forwarding of data that can reveal information about the users and their environment, for example. This raises privacy issues, as a fine-grained portrait can be created about e.g. their behaviour.

With the funded robots, we are therefore pursuing the following main goals, (1) uncovering novel privacy threats, (2) developing innovative countermeasures to protect privacy, and (3) providing innovative and user-friendly methods for users and visitors to exercise their rights to informational self-determination.

A total of eleven robots including one Care-O-bot 4, five Peppers, and five Doubles 3 were funded and purchased within this project.

Author:

Prof. Dr. Delphine Reinhardt

Date:
April 10th, 2022

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