Academic CV | Astrid Weiss

Synopsis

Astrid Weiss is an Assistant Professor on Human-Robot Interaction at TU Wien. Her research focuses on the effects of adaptive technology on everyday life and what motivates people to reject or accept it. She is regarded as one of the pioneers in the combination of empirical social research and robotics.

Education

2022:  Venia docendi; Habilitation treatise: „One cannot know everything — On the Need of Epistemological Diversity in Human-centered HRI Research“; University of Salzburg, Austria. Defense: 24 January 2022.

2005-2010: Dr. phil; Doctoral thesis: “Validation of an Evaluation Framework for Human-Robot Interaction”. Human-Computer Interaction group, ICT&S Center; University of Salzburg, Austria. Supervisors: Prof. Martin Weichbold (Sociology) and Prof. Manfred Tscheligi (Computer Science). Oral exam: March 17th, 2010.

2000-2005: Mag. Phil; MA in Sociology, specialization in methods of empirical social research and applied statistics, University of Salzburg, Austria. Master thesis: “Innovationen im Österreichischen Alpentourismus” (eng: Innovations in the Austrian Alp Tourism). Supervisor: Prof. Reinhard Bachleitner (Sociology). Oral exam: March 4th, 2005.

Grants and Prizes

  • Elected member of the Young Academy of the ÖAW (2018)
  • FWF Elise-Richter-Scholarship (2017)
  • Selected speaker for Tedx TUWien (2017)
  • FWF Hertha-Firnberg-Scholarship (2015)
  • selected as one of the “25 women you need to know in robotics” (2013)

Positions

Since Mar. 2021: Assistant Professor Human-Computer Interaction Group, Institute of Visual Computing and Human-Centered Technologies, TU Wien, Austria

May 2018- Jul. 2019: Parental leave (second child).

Oct. 2017- Feb. 2021: Senior researcher (Elise Richter awardee), Institute of Visual Computing and Human-Centered Technology, Human Computer Interaction Group, led by Prof. Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Vienna University of Technology, Austria.

Jul. 2016-Oct. 2017: Parental leave (first child).

May 2013-Jul. 2016: Postdoctoral researcher (Hertha Firnberg awardee), ACIN Institute of Automation and Control, Vision4Robotics group, led by Prof. Markus Vincze, Vienna University of Technology, Austria.

Sep. 2011-Jan. 2012: Visiting research fellow, Intelligent Systems Lab, led by Prof. Frans Groen, the University of Amsterdam and Human Media Interaction Group, led by Prof. Vanessa Evers, University of Twente, the Netherlands (5 months).

Apr. 2010-Feb. 2013: Postdoctoral researcher, ICT&S-Center, Human-Computer Interaction & Usability Unit, led by Prof. Manfred Tscheligi, University of Salzburg, Austria.

2007-2010: Research and teaching assistant, ICT&S-Center, Human-Computer Interaction & Usability Unit, led by Prof. Manfred Tscheligi, University of Salzburg, Austria.

Sep. 2010: Visiting research fellow, Institute of Media and Communication Science, Media Design & Media Psychology team, led by Prof. Nicola Döring, Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany, (3 days).

Oct. 2009: Visiting research fellow, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), CNRS-AIST Joint Japanese-French Robotics Laboratory (JRL), led by Prof. Abderrahmane Kheddar, Tsukuba, Japan (2 weeks).

Sep. 2008: Short Term Scientific Mission (cost-action294: MAUSE), Institut de recherche en informatique de Toulouse (IRIT), IHCS group, led by Prof. Philippe Palanque, University of Toulouse, France (1 month).

2006-2007: Project collaborator for “ITV4all” project, ICT&S-Center Human-Computer Interaction & Usability Unit, University of Salzburg, Austria.

Oct. 2005 – Jun. 2006: Internship, ICT&S-Center Human-Computer Interaction & Usability Unit, University of Salzburg, Austria (3 months).

Oct. 2003 – Jun. 2004: Collaboration on the interdisciplinary study-project: “Leben 2014” (eng: Life 2014, development of future plans for the Austrian region Upper-Pinzgau with the sociological scenario technique), Institute of Sociology, led by Prof. Reinhard Bachleitner (6 months), University of Salzburg, Austria.

Memberships

  • ACM – Association for Computing Machinery
  • AISB – Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour
  • Junge Akademie, Österreichische Akademie derWissenschaften, ÖAW
  • Robotics Multi Annual Roadmap Topic Group on Natural Interaction with Social Robots
  • Österreichische Gesellschaft für Soziologie

Affiliations to Research Projects

FWF # Connecting Minds programm Caring Robots / Robotics Care; 5-year project, started in 2022, key researcher and advisor of 1 PhD student

Digitalisierungsfonds Arbeit 4.0 der AK Wien MAXimizeMe -XXLMontage für alle (Diversitätsfördernde Individualisierung von Arbeitssystemen in der industriellen Baustellenmontage)}; 2-year project, started in 2021, principal investigator for TU Wien;

TU Wien Doctoral College TrustRobots (Trust in Robots – Trusting Robots). 3-years project, started in 2018, co-advisor of 3 PhD students

FWF project SharedSpace (Exploring Long-Term Human-Robot Interaction: What makes people accept or reject companion robots). 3-years project, starts in 2018, single person project (Elise Richter programme). Principal investigator 250.000€

FFG project AssistMe (Human-zentrierte Assistenzrobotik in der Produktion). 2-years project, started in 2015 involving ACIN, Vienna University of Technology, PROFACTOR GmbH, BMW Motoren Sreyr GmbH, GPN GmbH. Principal investigator and leader of the ACIN group in the project (1 workpackage); 840.000€

FWF project V4HRC (Vision-based Human-Robot Cooperation: Perspective Sharing). 3-years project, started in 2013, single person project (Hertha Firnberg programme). Principal investigator 220.000€

FFG project GENUINE (Gender Inclusive User Interface Design). 2-years project, started in 2011, involving the ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg, and Vienna University of Technology. Principal investigator and leader of the ICT&S group in the project (2 workpackages); 400.000€

FFG project PEEM (Persuasive End-user Energy Management). 2.5-years project, started in 2010, involving the ICT&S Center, University of Salzburg, CURE, and Salzburg AG. Principal investigator and leader of the ICT&S group in the project (2 workpackages); 150.000€

European Specific Targeted Research Project IURO (Interactive Urban Robot). 3-year project, started in 2010, under contract FP7-ICT- 248314, involving 4 universities and 1 industrial partner. Principal investigator and leader of the ICT&S group in the project (1 workpackage); 2 Mio€

Christian Doppler Laboratory “Contextual Interfaces“. 5-year project, started in 2009, involving University of Salzburg and 2 industrial partners. Principal investigator and leader of the research module “Contextual Interfaces for the Factory” http://www.contextual-interfaces.org/

Academic Services

  •  “The Human Touch” – Exploring Human Perception of Robots and Closing the Loop in Human-Robot Interaction, invited talk at the Interdisciplinary Advances and Challenges of AI, Robotics and Vision (InterAC 2024 – https://airov.at/workshop/InterAC)
  • Mehr als eine Maschine? Die soziale Dimension der Mensch-Roboter-Beziehungen , invited talk at the Japanische Botschaft Österreich (https://www.at.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_de/20240116news_00001.html) , 25 Jan  2024
  • Mehr als eine Maschine? Die soziale Dimension der Mensch-Roboter-Beziehungen , invited talk at the Gesellschaft für Kultursoziologie  (http://www.kultursoziologie.at/aktuelles.html )
  • Merely a Conventional `Diffusion‘ Problem? On the Adoption Process of Personal Robots, invited talk at PERSEO Residential Workshop (https://www.tuwien.at/etit/ict/asl/projekte/perseo/wohnwerkstatt-in-tuwien/tentative-program)
  • “Not that kind of a computer scientist?!” Über Multidisziplinarität, akademische Werdegänge und Roboter‘ , invited keynote at ditact summer university (https://ditact.ac.at/news/6703)
  •  Was bringt die Zukunft? Werden wir mit Servicerobotern leben? , invited lecture at the Kinderuni (https://www.kinderuni-anmeldung.at/event.php?event_id=4050), 21. 07. 2023
  • Do we really perceive and react differently to Embodied Artificial Intelligence than to `any other‘ technology? , invited panel talk at the 18th International Pragmatics Conference (https://event.ipra2023.exordo.com/ ) , 10.07. 2023
  • Co-shaping the social human-robot relation – Yes please, but how? , invited keynote at CONCATENATE Workshop at the HRI2023 conference (https://sites.google.com/view/concatenate-hri/speakers?authuser=0), 13.03. 2023
  • ‘One cannot know everything’— On the Need of Epistemological Diversity in Human-centered HRI Research, invited by Prof. Schulz-Schaeffer, TU Berlin, 08. 02. 2023
  •  ‘Ready player one?!’ Authenticity as the next transdisciplinary challenge, invited Hearing Professor Position University of Salzburg, 10.01. 2023
  • One cannot know everything’ — On the Need of Epistemological Diversity in Human-centered HRI Research , invited by Dr. Gudrun Haindlmair, Austrian Institute of Technology, 28.09.2022
  • Sozial verantwortliche und ethisch orientierte robotische Technologien für die Pflege – Yes please, but how? , invited by the Young Academy of ÖAW, 16.05.2022
  • ‘One cannot know everything’— On the Need of Epistemological Diversity in Human-centered HRI Research, Lunch Talks, Assistant Profs @ Stage, 11 05. 2022
  • Was macht Roboter sozial?, invited by Volkshochschule Wien (https://www.vhs.at/de/k/292582794)
  • Kritisches Partizipatives Design am Beispiel Pflegerobotik und anderer intelligenter Gesundheitstechnologien, invited by DigitalePerspektiven 2021 (https://digital-perspektiven.at)
  • What makes people accept or reject companion robots?, invited as panelist (Embodied AI: The international landscape of embodied agents –https://www.uu.nl/en/events/embodied-ai-the-international-landscape-of-embodied-agents) by Ruud Hortensius
  • Can robots even be gender neutral?, invited as speaker for the GenR workshop – GENDERING ROBOTS: Ongoing (Re)configurations of Gender in Robotics (https://sites.google.com/view/ro-man21-genr-workshop/home), invited by Dr. Giulia Perugia
  • Expert:innen-Talk: Motto „Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion“, invited by 12. Wirtschaft 4.0-Regionalveranstaltung (https://wirtschaft40.at/umfrage-noe-gewerbe-und-industrie-setzen-stark-auf-digitalisierung/)
  • Wenn Mensch und Intelligente Maschinen zusammenarbeiten sollen: Wie gestalten wir die zukünftige Arbeitswelt, invited by OÖ Zukunftsforum: „Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt“
  • Intelligente Roboter – die leistungsfähigeren Menschen?,  invited by FWF Am Puls Nr. 72
  • Pflegerobotik und ihre Herausforderungen, invited by Wiener Programm für Frauengesundheit
  • Haben Roboter-Mitarbeiter in der Produktion soziale Auswirkungen? Erfahrungen aus dem AssistMe Projekt, University Stuttgart, invited by Prof. Cordula Klopp, 14.01.2020
  • Schöne neue Technikwelt…Wohin führt die Robotisierung?, TU Wien: SYMPOSIUM Menschen und Maschinen. Visionen unserer digitalen Zukunft, 29. 10. 2019
  • Creating meaningful service robots: What we have learned from first-wave social robots, World Usability Congress, invited by Hannes Roiber, 17.10.2019
  • Sociology of the Digital Transformation: Re-thinking the Human Use of Technology, STS Conference, Graz 2016, 10.05.2019
  • Entstehung einer neuen wissenschaftlichen Disziplin – Mensch-Roboter-Interaktionsforschung, FH OÖ Campus Hagenberg, invited by Prof. Bettina Kubicek
  • Laundry and Garbage collection – a reasonable scenario for a care facility robot?, robotphilosphy 2018, Wien, Österreich, 16.02.2018, invited by Prof. Kerstin Fischer
  • Sociability vs Utility – Where are we heading in Social Robotics?,  3rd Joint UAE Symposium on Social Robotics, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 11.02.2018, invited by Prof. Friederike Eyssel
  • Will care robots care? TedX TUWien, 26.05.2017
  • Creating Service Robots for and with People: A User-centered Reflection on the Interdisciplinary Research Field of Human-Robot Interaction, STS Conference, Graz 2016, 10.05.2016, invited by Andreas Bischof
  • On the interrelations between gender, care and assistive technology, Workshop des Forschungsverbund ForGenderCare, München, Deutschland, invited by Dr. Susanne Schmidt
  • Enabling Independent Living at Home: Lessons learned from household trials with the HOBBIT robot, ICSR2015 Workshop on improving the quality of life in the elderly using robotic assistive technology: benefits, limitations, and challenges, conference, Paris, Frankreich, 30.10.2015, invited by Prof. Miguel Salchis
  • Exploring Human-Robot Interaction in Public Spaces: Lessons Learned, IROS2015 Workshop on Designing and Evaluating Social Robots for Public Settings, Hamburg, Germany, 28.09.2015, invited by Dr. Chris Bevan
  • Exploring Joint Action to Inform Human-Robot Collaboration: How to build something together, Joint Action Meeting, Budapest, Hungary, 03.07.2015, invited by Dr. Cordula Vesper
  • Users in Focus: Creating Service Robots for and with People, CHILI Lab EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, 18.07.2014, invited by Prof. Pierre Dillenbourg
  • Users in Focus: Creating Service Robots for and with People, European Conference on Educational Robotics (ECER), Vienna, Austria, 08.04.2014, invited by Dr. Gottfried Koppensteiner
  • Mensch‐Roboter Interaktion im Öffentlichen Raum ‐ Die Herausforderungen von Feldstudien, Workshop: Muster der Interaktion mit neuen Technologien Möglichkeiten der theoretischen Generalisierung der Ergebnisse von Einzelforschungen, Univeristy of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, 26.10.2012, invited by Prof. Martin Meister
  • Exploring Human-Robot Cooperation Possibilities for Semiconductor Manufacturing, Workshop on Worker-Robot Interaction in Manufacturing Industry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, 25.10.2012, invited by Prof. Antonio Moniz
  • User-centered Evaluation of Human-Robot Interaction: The USUS Evaluation Framework, Vienna University of Technology, Austria, 20.04.2012, invited by Prof. Markus Vincze
  • The USUS Evaluation Framework for User-centered HRI, Technical University Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 12. 12. 2011, invited by Prof. Jaap Ham
  • The USUS Evaluation Framework for User-centered HRI, Technical University Delft, The Netherlands, 20.10.2011, invited by Prof. M. Birna van Riemsdijk
  • Looking foreward to a “Robotic Society”? Notions of future human-robot relationships, Phibot workshop, Munich, Germany, 09.09.2011, invited by Prof. Klaus Mainzer
  • Social Interaction with Machines: A Sociological Approach to the People-Technology Relationship, Phibot workshop, Munich, Germany, 07. 10. 2010, invited by Prof. Klaus Mainzer
  • How Social do Robots really Need to be? Panel at the 2nd the International Symposium on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction, Leicester, UK, 01. 04. 2010, invited by Prof. Kerstin Dautenhahn
  • Validation of an Evaluation Framework for HRI. Young HRI Pioneers Workshop, Osaka, Japan, 02.03.2010, selected presenter
  • Integrating Sociological Theory into the Field of Human-Computer Interaction, LAAS/ CNRS Toulouse, France, 11. 07. 2008, invited by Prof. Eiichi Yoshida

2019

Fisher, Michael; List, Christian; Slavkovik, Marija; Weiss, Astrid

Ethics and Trust: Principles, Verification and Validation (Dagstuhl Seminar 19171) Forschungsbericht

Dagstuhl, Germany, (4), 2019, ISSN: 2192-5283.

Links | BibTeX

2016

der Pütten, Astrid Rosenthal-von; Weiss, Astrid; Šabanovic, Selma

HRI2016 Workshop: The challenge (not) to go wild! Challenges and best practices to study HRI in natural interaction settings Konferenzbeitrag

In: 2016 11th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), S. 583-584, 2016, ISSN: 2167-2148.

Links | BibTeX

Perterer, Nicole; Fuchsberger, Verena; Tscheligi, Manfred; Weiss, Astrid; Wulf, Volker; Bengler, Klaus

COOP2016 Workshop: Contextual Collaboration: Where Automation and People Meet Konferenzbeitrag

In: COOP 2016: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, 23-27 May 2016, Trento, Italy, S. 331, Springer 2016.

Links | BibTeX

2014

Weiss, Astrid; Beer, Jenay; Shibata, Takanori; Vincze, Markus

HRI2014 Workshop: Socially Assistive Robots for the Aging Population: Are We Trapped in Stereotypes? Konferenzbeitrag

In: Proceedings of the 2014 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, S. 497–498, Association for Computing Machinery, Bielefeld, Germany, 2014, ISBN: 9781450326582.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

2013

Weiss, Astrid; Lorenz, Tamara; Robins, Ben; Evers, Vanessa; Vincze, Markus

ICSR2013 Workshop: Taking Care of Each Other: Synchronisation and Reciprocity for Social Companion Robots Konferenzbeitrag

In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Social Robotics, ICSR'13, Bristol, UK, 2013.

BibTeX

2012

Tscheligi, Manfred; Meschtscherjakov, Alexander; Weiss, Astrid; Wulf, Volker; Evers, Vanessa; Mutlu, Bilge

CSCW2012 Workshop: Exploring collaboration in challenging environments: from the car to the factory and beyond Konferenzbeitrag

In: Proceedings of the ACM 2012 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work Companion, S. 15–16, 2012.

BibTeX

2011

Kollar, Thomas; Weiss, Astrid; Patel, Mitesh; Kelley, Robert; Gribovskaya, Elena; Lin, Luy; Datta, Chandan; Osawa, Hirotaka; Austermann, Anja; Lu, David; Monast, Jason

HRI2011 Workshop: HRI Pioneers Konferenzbeitrag

In: 2011 6th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), S. 9-9, 2011, ISSN: 2167-2121.

Links | BibTeX

2009

Reitberger, Wolfgang; Ham, Jaap; Weiss, Astrid; Spahn, Andreas; Meschtscherjakov, Alexander; Nickel, Philip; Tscheligi, Manfred

The ubiquitous persuader: Mechanisms, applications and ethical dilemmas of ambient persuasion Konferenzbeitrag

In: 3rd European Conference on Ambient Intelligence (AmI 2009), S. 201–207, International Ambient Media Association (iAMEA) 2009.

BibTeX

Weiss, Astrid; Tschleigi, Manfred; Billard, Aude

HRI2009 Workshop: Societal Impact: How Socially Accepted Robots Can be Integrated in our Society Konferenzbeitrag

In: Proceedings of the 2009 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction. HRI ’09. San Diego, USA, 2009.

BibTeX

2008

Weiss, Astrid; Tscheligi, Manfred; Billard, Aude; Dautenhahn, Kerstin

Ro-Man2008 Workshop: Robots as Social Actors: Evaluating Social Acceptance and Societal Impact of Robotic Agents Konferenzbeitrag

In: RO-MAN 2008 - The 17th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, 2008.

BibTeX

Editorial Activities:

  • Associate Editor for Human-Robot Interaction in the Frontiers for Robotics and AI, 2020 onwards.
  • Special Issue on Envisioning Social robotics: Current Challenges and new interdisciplinary methodologies, Interaction Studies (Co-Editor Glenda Hannibal), 2020
  • Special Section on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction: Interdisciplinary Human-Centred Approaches, Interaction Studies (Co-Editor Dr. Maha Salem, Dr. Paul Baxter), 2016.
  • Associate Editor for Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction, 2015 onwards.
  • Associate Chair for IFIP TC13 Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT), 2011, 2015.
  • Associate Editor for IEEE International Symposium in Robot and Human Interactive Communication, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.
  • Special Issue on Social Acceptance and Societal Impact in Human-Robot Interaction, International Journal of Social Robotics (Co-Editor Prof. Manfred Tscheligi), 2010.

Main Reviewing Activities:

  • International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS)
  • IFIP TC13 Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT)
  • ACM/SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)
  • International Journal of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
  • Interaction Studies
  • International Journal of Social Robotics (SORO)
  • ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
  • IEEE International Conference on Communication and Robots (RO-MAN)
  • Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB)

Organizing Committees:

  • General Co-Chair of the HRI2022 Conference (together with Dr. Daisuke Sakamoto), Sapporo, Japan, 2022.
  • Program Chair of the HRI 2017 Conference (together with Dr. James Young), Vienna, Austria, 2017.
  • Registration Chair of the HRI 2016 Conference (together with Dr. Manja Lohse), Christchurch, New Zealand, 2016.
  • Co-Chair of the 4th International Symposium on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction (together with Dr. Maha Salem, Dr. Paul Baxter, Prof. Kerstin Dautenhahn), University of Canterbury, Kent, UK, 2015.
  • Fundraising Chair of the HRI 2015 Conference (together with Dr. Daisuke Sakamoto and Dr. Jennifer Burke), Portland, USA, 2015.
  • Workshop and Tutorials Chair (together with Dr. David Feil-Seifer) of the HRI 2013 Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2013.
  • Late-breaking Chair (together with Dr. Frank Broz) of the HRI 2012 Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 2012.
  • Sponsor and Exhibition Chair of the International Conference on Social Robotics, Amsterdam, NL, 2011.

Program Committees:

  • Program Committee of the HRI 2021 Conference, Boulder, USA.
  • Program Committee of the HRI 2016 Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand.
  • Program Committee of the HRI 2015 Conference, Portland, USA.
  • Program Committee of the International Symposium on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction 2014, London, UK.
  • Program Committee of the ICSR 2012 Conference, Chengdu, China.
  • Program Committee of the International Symposium on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction 2010, Leicester, UK.
  • Program Committee of the International Symposium on New Frontiers in Human-Robot Interaction 2009, Edinburgh, UK.
  • Program Committee of the EuroITV 2010 Conference, Tampere, Finland.
  • Program Committee of the EuroITV 2009 Conference, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Program Committee of the EuroITV 2008 Conference, Salzburg, Austria.

Local Arrangements and Student Volunteering:

  • AmI 2011: European Conference on Ambient Intelligence, 16th – 18th November 2011, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • AmI 2009: European Conference on Ambient Intelligence, 18th – 21st November 2009, Salzburg, Austria.
  • EuroITV 2008: European Conference on Interactive Television, 3rd – 4th July 2008, Salzburg, Austria.
  • ACE 2007: Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment and Technology, 13th – 15th June 2007, Salzburg, Austria.