Understanding Sleeping Robots as Companions

Somnox is a Delft company co-funded by IDE alumni. It is developing sleep robots to help people cope with sleep and stress issues. Its most enthusiastic and dedicated users refer to the sleep robot as a companion, highlighting the degree of relationship they develop with the product as they use it as part of their sleeping routines. Together with Somnox, the Data-Centric Design lab sees this as an opportunity to explore this ‘intimate’ relationship with technology and better understand how this experience can be reinforced to support a broader base of users effectively.

In this project, you will explore the intimate relationship that develops between the Somnox sleep robots and their users. Core research questions include: What are the companionship factors? How can intimate behaviors and relationships with a product be elicited? To this end, you will first explore the concept of companionship and product as a companion across HCI and design, and devise an approach to understand companionship (and the absence of companionship) with Somnox end-users in the Netherlands. You will conceptualize the notion of companionship in this context and provide design guidelines to support the development of companionship relations with technologies.

You are a Design for Interaction or Strategic Product Design student with experience in digital technology and human behavior. You are passionate about data and the collaborative use of information. You speak Dutch, and you look forward to interacting with Somnox users. You are ready to explore intimate relationships with technology and promote how to do so responsibly.