The cross-disciplinary research centre, Center for Playware of Technical University of Denmark and Danish School of Education (AU), focus on how playful aspects of robotics and interactive technology may provide motivation for any citizen to perform different kinds of interaction. Research combines modern artificial intelligence, modular robotics and entertainment to provide novel opportunities in play, rehabilitation, sport, music, teaching, third World development, etc.
This consolidates and expands a new, self-contained field of research and industrial enterprise, which is combining humanistic and technological research under the term playware, defined as: "intelligent hardware and software that aims at producing play and playful experiences among users of all ages". The field comprises not only existing digital products for promoting play, entertainment and learning but most of all new ones arising from more recent technologies such as robotics, ambient intelligence, pervasive and ubiquitous computing, and mobile technology, that allow for the creation of intelligent physical objects.
Researchers have explored the possibilities afforded by ambient technology and modern artificial intelligence for developing new play environments, toys and learning objects in close collaboration with the major international companies within play and play equipment. Also, research is utilized to develop novel welfare technology, e.g. for elderly home care and rehabilitation, which provide high motivation for the users to interact and perform desired actions. The center is an interdisciplinary research center with researchers from humanities, arts, and engineering. More info: www.playware.dk