Robot Kingdom: A New Approach to Defining and Understanding Robots

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have proposed a novel approach to understanding and discussing robots, shifting the focus from defining a universal concept to categorizing robots as entities within the "robot kingdom." This approach allows for diverse representatives of robot entities to be discussed without relying on a single, definitive definition. By adopting this framework, researchers aim to facilitate better interdisciplinary understanding and communication across various fields of robot research.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers propose the concept of the "robot kingdom" as a means to discuss and categorize robots without relying on a universal definition.
  • The approach is inspired by the way animals are discussed in the "animal kingdom," where various species are considered without assuming they share necessary and sufficient properties.
  • The proposed approach aims to facilitate interdisciplinary understanding and communication across robot research fields.
  • The researchers argue that adopting this approach would enable the exchange of evidence and new research results between fields.
  • The concept of the robot kingdom is not intended to replace existing definitions of robots, but rather to provide a complementary framework for discussion.
  • The researchers identify the difficulty of finding a universally applicable definition of robots as a challenge in robot research.
  • Financial supporters of the research include the Research Council of Finland, Strategic Research Council (SRC), Kone Foundation, NordForsk, and Research Council of Finland.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the International Journal of Social Robotics.

Statistics:

  • The study argues that robots are gaining social significance, leading to a growing need to discuss them among different stakeholders and audiences.
  • The researchers propose the robot kingdom approach as a means to facilitate better interdisciplinary understanding and communication across robot research fields.
  • The study has been supported by several organizations, including the Research Council of Finland, Strategic Research Council (SRC), and Kone Foundation.
  • The study has been published in the International Journal of Social Robotics, a journal published by Springer.

Sources:

  • NewsRx LLC. New Robotics Study Findings Reported from University of Helsinki (Robot Kingdom: On the Difficulty of Finding the Definition of Robots). Journal of Engineering. October 20, 2025; p 2201.
  • Robot Kingdom: On the Difficulty of Finding the Definition of Robots. International Journal of Social Robotics, 2025.