As part of the annual European Week of Robotics, the Future Care Labs in Halle and Prishtina proudly showcased their innovative work to a European audience. With a focus on robotics in healthcare, the event highlighted an international collaboration spearheaded by the Health Services Research Working Group under Prof. Dr. Jahn, utilizing the platform provided by the BMBF-funded project Innovative Care Robotics (ICR).
Pioneering Research in Socially Assistive Robotics
The ICR project spotlighted four cutting-edge research initiatives centered on socially assistive robotics in healthcare. Guided by a participatory and co-creative development approach, the projects leverage living labs to understand the needs of target groups, identify acceptance challenges, and design enabling structures for robotic-assisted care solutions.
Living labs offer unique opportunities to co-create and test solutions under real-world conditions, a methodology increasingly integrated into healthcare research.
Mirroring Innovation Across Borders
In a groundbreaking approach, the Future Care Lab in Halle was mirrored at the facility of its cooperation partner, Kolegji Heimerer in Prishtina, Kosovo. This cross-border collaboration established an infrastructure that fosters interdisciplinary research and development, offering a real-world testing ground for robot-assisted care solutions tailored to diverse contexts.
Interactive Workshop: Sharing Insights
During the interactive online workshop titled “Mirrored Transformation in Innovation, Care, and Robotics: Insights from Future Care Lab in Halle and Prishtina,” 27 participants engaged in rich discussions on how this dual-lab approach is driving innovation. The workshop showcased practical examples of co-creation and emphasized the potential for such international collaborations to shape sustainable healthcare solutions. 
Looking Ahead: Building on Collaboration
The Future Care Lab is excited about the new collaborative project ideas emerging from this initiative. By connecting researchers, healthcare professionals, and technology experts across borders, we aim to pave the way for innovative digital assistive solutions that contribute to sustainable healthcare systems worldwide.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of care robotics and international collaboration. Together, we can shape the future of healthcare!