PolyU professor receives Huibregtsen Prize 2020 for his innovative research
26 Nov 2020
Congratulations! Prof. Johan Hoorn, Professor of our School of Design and his team were recently awarded the Huibregtsen Prize 2020 by the board of the Foundation “De Avond van Wetenschap & Maatschappij” for their innovative robotic research project – “Alice”, which brings benefits to the society by relieving loneliness and improving the quality of life for the elderly.
Prof. Hoorn's project was praised by the jury of the Huibregtsen Prize: "This scientific and social project is based on an impressive combination of disciplinary expertise. 'Alice' raises deep questions about possible relationships between man and machine, but also about empathy and moral reasoning."
The Huibregtsen Prize was established by the board of the Foundation “De Avond van Wetenschap & Maatschappij” in 2005. The Prize is awarded for a recent research project that combines scientific quality and innovation with a special social added value or outreach. Prof. Johan Hoorn is one of the six nominees for the 2020 Prize.
Robot “Alice”
“Alice” is a social robot that chats and responds empathetically to the elderly. Being a companion to the elderly, “Alice” helps to relieve their loneliness and improve their quality of life.
"Alice’s performance is based on a mix of artificial intelligence and remote-controlled human interference, said Prof. Hoorn. "Over time, we hope such robots can be used in helping to overcome many social challenges in healthcare, education, and services.”
