Humanoids in STEM outreach: a framework for responsible deployment through engaged research

This perspective reports on 2025 field deployments of a full-size humanoid robot across diverse settings, from a large-scale mental health charity event to primary and secondary classrooms in Ireland. While high-fidelity humanoids significantly increase student engagement and ’social relief’, they introduce complex challenges regarding physical safety, anthropomorphic bias, and regulatory compliance. We describe a ‘Tin Man’ framing strategy used to manage student expectations and report on the technical limitations of LLM-driven interactions in sensitive environments. We argue that the move toward life-size humanoids in schools requires a shift from pedagogy-first to governance-first deployment strategies. Key recommendations include age-gating full-size systems for secondary education and establishing clear ‘kinematic buffer zones.’ This work contributes to the emerging discourse on the ethical and physical integration of high-mass robotics in public and educational spaces.