Designing Relational Machines: Social Agents and Human-Robot Interaction

As technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, the demand for software agents and robots that can form social and emotional connections with humans is growing rapidly. Understanding how to design these relational machines requires a deep dive into social psychology, human-computer interaction, and modern AI behavior. This course prepares you to conceptualize and design relational systems that foster trust, engagement, and long-term user interaction. You will transition from analyzing basic human-robot interaction theories to drafting comprehensive design frameworks for modern conversational agents and social robots. What you'll learn: - Understand the foundational concepts of relational technology and human-robot interaction. - Apply social psychology principles to design software agents that exhibit empathy and build trust. - Analyze conversational dynamics and turn-taking in human-computer communication. - Design relational frameworks for modern AI assistants and autonomous social agents. - Evaluate ethical considerations, privacy standards, and boundaries in human-agent relationships. - Create conceptual blueprints for relational machines tailored to healthcare, education, or customer service. The course starts with essential terminology and the psychological foundations of human relationships before guiding you through interaction design methodologies and modern agent architectures. Through structured reading and written design exercises, you will develop a robust toolkit for creating socially intelligent technology. This course is designed for beginners, aspiring UX designers, product managers, and technology enthusiasts who want to explore the intersection of psychology and AI design, with no prior programming or engineering experience required. Start exploring the future of human-agent interaction and learn to design technology that truly connects.