Significant progress in AI and robotics improves the performance of semi-autonomous robots, which partially work autonomously and are partially teleoperated by human users from a distance. Therefore, such teleoperated robots work as avatar (alter ego) of the robot operator, and provide enormous possibilities to expand the operator’s physical, cognitive, and perceptual capabilities assisted by AI technologies. To accomplish such Human-Robot-Avatar interaction, avatar robots are required to understand and predict the remote user’s intention and proactively plan and coordinate the robot’s behaviors autonomously.

One key factor for the success of such approaches will be the ability of these robots to actually work and interact with humans and avatars in a way that is effective, just as other humans would do. And one of such abilities is that of adaptation to the humans, their failures, reactions, and mental states. Therefore, anticipating and predicting such events will allow robots to proactively adapt to the situation, preventing failure, and becoming more helpful than a mere automaton performing a simple task and acting as a real co-worker/assistant.

The goal of this workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers specializing in autonomous cognitive and developmental robots and those in social robots and human-robot interaction to come together and discuss how to develop human-centered semi-autonomous teleoperated robots to realize a human-robot symbiotic society. We believe the topic of the workshop is quite timely and relevant. In recent years, we have seen an increase in research towards Human-Robot Collaboration and Interaction and robotic assistance (physical and social), aiming to integrate robots into our daily lives, both at work and at home, and industrial partners have shown increasing interest in those.