The demographic development shows the need for technical solutions to previously social work areas due to the simple fact that in the long run not enough people will be available in the work force. A crucial area in an ageing society is the care and treatment of elderly people who should be encouraged and supported in a self guided life. One possibility in this complex and challenging endeavor is the use of robots as social companions that allow for triggering cognitive and social activities. On the technical side this opens up a plethora of challenging research questions ranging from engineering aspects like social signal processing or path finding to interaction design aspects like social behavior modeling or emotional interactions. Additionally, the introduction of robots into areas that are so far viewed as the sole realm of human interactions gives rise to ethical considerations and uncertainties about the acceptance of these systems.

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