Bringing together seven academic institutions across Europe led by the University of Plymouth, as well as a hospital in Milan that hopes to use the robots in the rehabilitation of young patients, the multimillion-pound project - funded by the European Commission - was described by the Economic and Social Research Council last year as one of the 10 most influential pieces of research in the UK today.
The 20 robots being developed across the partnership each weigh 4.3kg and stand 58cm tall. Researchers hope to overcome the limitations of traditional on-board processors and enable the robots to store information and modify their behaviour accordingly.
This would then allow them to sustain what project leader Tony Belpaeme calls "believable, in-depth social relationships with young users". They may eventually replace animals as companions for children hospitalised for long-term conditions such as diabetes.
Send suggestions for this series on the treasures, oddities and curiosities owned by universities across the world to matthew.reisz@tsleducation.com.
Please
or to read this article.Register to continue
Get a month's unlimited access to THE content online. Just register and complete your career summary.
Registration is free and only takes a moment. Once registered you can read a total of 3 articles each month, plus:
- Sign up for the editor's highlights
- Receive World University Rankings news first
- Get job alerts, shortlist jobs and save job searches
- Participate in reader discussions and post comments
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to THE’s university and college rankings analysis

Already registered or a current subscriber?