HRI++ is an evolution of HRI+, a project presented at Maker Faire Rome 2018. HRI++ aims to study various forms of human-robot interaction, using intelligent vehicles guided by bodily gestures, animal-like robots that react empathically to human behavior, industrial manipulators equipped with advanced artificial intelligence techniques for collaboration with factory operators, and "companion" robots activated by vocal interaction and able to dialogue with people.

HRI++ shows how it is possible to interact in various ways with robots of different types, different levels of intelligence, and different physical-cognitive modes of interaction. In the case of vehicle control using gestures, the objective is to use one's body to effectively guide the robot, and in this regard, it is necessary to wear wearable devices, such as sensors and/or gloves equipped with sensors. In the case of empathic interaction, the focus is on physical interaction and the robot's ability to generate empathy in the person with whom it interacts. In the case of cooperation with a collaborative robot, the idea is to understand how intuitive interaction is possible and aimed at achieving a particular objective (for example, the assembly of a semi-finished product). In the case of human-robot interaction based on dialogues in natural language, we want to evaluate its naturalness.

In the four cases, the robots are equipped with increasing intelligence, up to the extreme case of the robot able to interact through dialogues with people.

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