Robot Talk Episode 125 – Chatting with robots, with Gabriel Skantze - Robohub

In episode 125 of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire interviews Gabriel Skantze, a Professor of Speech Communication and Technology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Skantze specializes in conversational AI and human-robot interaction, focusing on creating natural face-to-face conversations between humans and robots. His research integrates both verbal and non-verbal communication elements, such as prosody, turn-taking, feedback, and joint attention, to improve the fluidity and naturalness of spoken interactions with robots. Skantze also co-founded Furhat Robotics in 2014, where he continues to contribute as Chief Scientist. Furhat Robotics develops social robots designed to engage in human-like conversations, leveraging Skantze’s expertise in computational models of spoken interaction. The episode highlights ongoing advancements in conversational systems and the challenges involved in making robot communication more natural and effective, emphasizing the importance of combining multiple communication cues to enhance human-robot interaction.