Cultural Robotics: Diversified Sustainable Practices

Beyond environmental conservation, the broader sustainable development of social robotics requires the efforts of diversified practices, in which the widest possible scope of cultures and perspectives contribute to HRI discourses. The field of Cultural Robotics has developed beyond recognising the deep cultural impact of social robotics, and practitioners must now look to platform the sharing and integration of culturally developed sustainable methodologies. Embedded within different cultures are a rich variety of collaborative practices of knowledge sharing, community leasing of resources, methods for reusing, repairing and customising technology, and contemporary recycling methods. These circular economy principles have an integral application to social robotics, in managing the long-term environmental impact of robotics, as well as ensuring this social technology is developed in the most inclusive way possible. In this workshop, participants engage with topics such as eco-friendly material selection, ethics for human-robot coevolution, lean and modular design methodologies, and strategies for ensuring robotics applications are adaptable across different cultural contexts. The workshop features expert presentations, interactive discussions, and hands-on activities that reflect emerging practices in sustainable and culturally informed robotics. Contributions are invited from diverse cultural perspectives to explore how social robotics development can effectively integrate circular economy principles to support environmentally responsible and socially inclusive innovation. Selected contributors will present during the workshop panel sessions, and all accepted papers will be compiled into a comprehensive publication, serving as a valuable resource for practitioners and researchers dedicated to advancing sustainability and cultural integration in robotics development.