Humanoid Robots In Service At Universities
Cross-Regional Review of Humanoid Robot Adoption in Higher Education
Abstract
The emergence of humanoid robots in higher education as a potential teaching tool is becoming an increasingly significant phenomenon worldwide. This article provides insight into the current uses and emerging applications of humanoid robots in universities, drawing on examples from Asia, North America, and Europe.
References
Ekström, S.–Pareto, L. (2022): The dual role of humanoid robots in education: As didactic tools and social actors. Education and Information Technologies, 27., (9.), pp. 12609–12644.
Belpaeme, T.–Kennedy, J.–Ramachandran, A.–Scassellati, B.–Tanaka, F. (2018): Social robots for education: A review. Science Robotics, 3., (21.), eaat5954. https://ww.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.aat5954 [Open access – Q1 AAAS]
UNESCO (2021): AI and Education: Guidance for Policy-Makers. Paris: UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000376709 [Open access]
UNESCO (2021): Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. UNESCO General Conference, 41st Session, Paris. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381137 [Openaccess – 193 member states]
NVIDIA (2024): Isaac Lab–GPU-Accelerated Simulation Framework for Robot Learning. NVIDIA Developer. https://developer.nvidia.com/isaac/lab [Open access – used by Stanford, ETH Zurich, Boston Dynamics, Figure AI]
Donnermann, M.–Schaper, P.–Lugrin, B. (2022): Social robots in applied settings: A long-term study on adaptive robotic tutors in higher education. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Vol. 9, 831633. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2022.831633/full [Open access – Frontiers/SCIE]
Huang, G.–Moore, R. K. (2023): Using social robots for language learning: are we there yet? Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning, 3., (1.), pp. 208–230. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/jccall-2023-0013/html[Open access – De Gruyter]
Buchem, I. (2023. June 13.): Meet Humanoid Robots NAO, FURHAT & PEPPER: An Interview with Humanoid Robots Expert Professor Ilona Buchem. AACE Review. https://aace.org/review/ilona-buchem/ [Open access]
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (n.d.): Social Robotics – Exchange Programme. https://www.internationalhu.com/ exchange-programmes/socialrobotics
Sievers, T. (2025): A Humanoid Social Robot as a Teaching Assistant in the Classroom [Preprint]. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05646
University of Plymouth (n.d.): Robots Will Never Replace Teachers but Can Boost Children’s Education. Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/robots-will-never-replaceteachers-but-can-boost-childrenseducation
LAAS-CNRS (n.d.): Robotique – Équipes de Recherche. Laboratoire d’Analyse et d’Architecture des Systèmes. Université de Toulouse. https://www.laas.fr/fr/recherche/rob/ [Open access]
Smakman, M. (2022): Robots in Education: Implementing Robot Tutors in a Morally Justified Way. [Doctoral dissertation, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht]. https://www.hu.nl/-/media/hu/ documenten/onderzoek/projecten/matthijssmakman_thesis.pdf
European Commission (2021–2027): Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027. Publications Office of the EU, Luxembourg. https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/digital-education/action-plan [Open access]
European Parliament and Council of the EU (2024): Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 – Artificial Intelligence Act. Official Journal of the European Union, 12 July 2024. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai [Open access]
Council of Europe (2024): Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. Council of Europe Treaty Series No. 225, Vilnius, 5 September 2024. https://rm.coe.int/1680afae3c [Open access]
Presno Linera, M. Á.; Meuwese, A. C. M. (2025): Regulating AI from Europe: a joint analysis of the AI Act and the Framework Convention on AI. The Theory and Practice of Legislation, 13., (3.). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20508840.2025.2492524 [Open access – Q1 Taylor & Francis/SSCI]
Wang, K. et al. (2023): The effectiveness of educational robots in improving learning outcomes: A meta-analysis. Sustainability, 15., (5.), pp. 46–37. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4637 [Open access – Q1 MDPI/SSCI]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
