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Our Future With Robots
November 13, 2025 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
This event is free and open to all who want to learn! Give us a heads up if you plan to attend.
Robots are no longer just the stuff of science fiction—they’re becoming part of our everyday world. From helping in hospitals and homes to guiding us through complex tasks, robots and intelligent agents are learning how to better understand and assist people.
In this talk, we’ll explore what scientists and designers are doing to make these technologies more capable, responsive, and human-aware. You’ll hear stories of robots that perform brilliantly—and others that don’t quite get it right. Through real-world examples from research labs and commercial projects, we’ll discuss how context matters: when should robots act more like companions, and when should they behave like tools?
There will be time for questions and conversation, so bring your curiosity and join us for a fascinating glimpse into the evolving relationship between humans and machines—and what the future of collaboration might look like
Dr. Reig is an Assistant Professor at the Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences at UMass Lowell. Her research explores how artificial intelligence and robots interact with people in social settings, how design can shape those relationships, and how humans and AI can collaborate more effectively. She earned her Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University, where her work was supported by a NASA fellowship.
You can find Dr. Reig’s website here: samreig.com
Dr. Tan is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, specializing in Human-Robot Interaction. His research focuses on how autonomous robots can work together—and with people—to complete tasks that no single robot could do alone. By studying these interactions, his work uncovers new ways humans respond to robots and informs the design of smarter, more collaborative robotic systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Tech’s NSF AI Institute for Collaborative Assistance and Responsive Interaction for Networked Groups (AI-CARING).
You can find Dr. Tan’s website here: zhi.fyi
Contact program coordinator Stephanie with questions: programs@wiltoncommunitycenter.org