Cyberpsychology in Aarhus, Denmark | Core Course Week

Today marks the end of Core Course Week! During this week, all DIS students travel with their Core Course classmates and faculty for a three-day study tour in a neighboring city. For the other two days, students have field studies, events, and discussions related to the course in Copenhagen.

On Monday, my Cyberpsychology class headed to Aarhus, Denmark! Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark with a population of just over 300,000. It is located on the Jutland peninsula, so to get from Zealand (the island that is home to Copenhagen) to Jutland, we had a 4-hour bus ride. It was quite a beautiful drive especially with the sun being out! (Note that the sun being out in February is rare and now Copenhagen is experiencing a snowstorm bringing the deepest snow since 2011 🥲).

Aarhus University | Robophilosophy & Integrated Social Robotics

Our first stop in Aarhus was Aarhus University! We visited the Robophilosophy & Integrated Social Robotics Unit where we had the opportunity to learn about the unit and their research from Professor Johanna Seibt. Robophilosophy is a field that was created in Aarhus in 2014; Professor Seibt was a part of that founding team! The field deals with the philosophy of social robotics. For those unfamiliar, social robotics refers to robots designed to interact with humans and adhere to social norms. Over 7M USD has been invested into the Robophilosophy & Integrated Social Robotics Unit, funding 35+ researchers across 15 disciplines and 9 countries.

You might think, wow that’s a lot of disciplines! and you’re right. The unit includes philosophers, engineers, cognitive scientists, anthropologists, linguists, and more. Professor Seibt really emphasized how social robots aren’t “things” but rather artificial “social others.” Roboticists and engineers are not trained to deploy robots. With social robots, technological failures take on a whole new social dimension because these robots are now entering a public space — a human social reality. To truly build in ethical and culturally sustainable ways, it is imperative to have experts who aren’t just focused on building but are also focused on its long-term impacts. I hope this is something that more founders take into consideration today because we are in an age where we are constantly building and shipping, often without enough reflection on who it will hurt.

During our visit, we also heard from a graduate student’s research on griefbots. Griefbots are driven by large language models (LLMs) and are designed to bring the dead “back to life” by keeping a conversation going. We discussed ethical implications, and if we think griefbots support an adaptive grief or prolong the pain of grief.

DokkX | Welfare Technology

Visiting DokkX was the highlight of the study tour! DokkX is a welfare technology exhibition within Dokk1, a culture house which serves as a public space for all to enjoy! It’s a library, children’s play area, exhibit, etc. all in one. The idea of Dokk1 is to be a space for “contemplation, learning, and play” and I think that it embodies that perfectly. Every time a baby is born in the nearby hospital, you’ll hear the bell ring in Dokk1!

The current exhibition is called “Caring Technology” which is laid out like a home with each room featuring everyday welfare technology. There’s a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, office, living room, and sensory room; you can find all the technologies on display here! Welfare technology encourages people with disabilities to be more independent by providing them with tools that assist with daily tasks. Because of the Danish welfare state (read more about it here and why it’s hard to copy), the government will pay for these tools if you qualify.

My favorite was a walker that converts into a wheelchair. It’s easily transportable, and encourages people to walk for as long as they can before turning it into a wheelchair and requiring assistance. I was thinking of my grandma and how nice this would be for her! The exhibit featured a lot of tools for people with Parkinson’s. Some other favorites of mine included a spoon that can stay relatively stable even with hand tremors and a wristband that vibrates in different patterns to counteract tremors. Our guide talked about how these tools have encouraged people with Parkinson’s to go out in public more often, to eat out at a nice restaurant without the fear of food splattering all over them, and to spend more time with friends. Assistive technology is so cool because sometimes it’s the smallest things that can make a huge impact on someone’s life. 

DokkX also has a weekly 3D printing workshop where people can come in and help design assisted technology for people who have come in with specific problems they need simple solutions for. This workshop is great because these problems are usually quite specific to the person, lead to a cheap 3D printed solution, and don’t compete with any potential businesses or business prospects.

Khora | Virtual Reality (VR) & Merged Reality (MR)

In Copenhagen, we visited Khora, “an immersive production studio inspired by Plato’s concept of Khora — a place between the real and unreal.” Khora has 100+ AR/VR/MR experiences you can try out in their showroom. I got to go to space in VR, walk the plank on a 30-story building, play Beat Saber, draw in 3D, and skydive the Dolomites mountain range in MR. It was so much fun!

While most people tend to think of AR/VR/MR as just games and/or a distraction from the real world, it’s actually a lot more than that. Advanced technology can make a positive change in people’s lives (beyond VR boyfriends…)!! Khora has participated in many research projects including those for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, eating disorders, and pain management. Their work has also been used to help distract children during vaccinations, for apartment tours, and in firework safety campaigns. 

More in Aarhus!

Beyond the academic field studies, we also had the chance to explore more of Aarhus, its culture, and bond as a group! We went on a food walking tour, played laser tag, participated in a mindfulness workshop, and visited the ARoS art museum! 

ARoS | Aarhus Art Museum

ARoS gets its own section because it was that incredible. The museum was established in 1858 and includes temporary exhibitions along with permanent collections. Usually two hours would be enough time for me to explore an art museum but wow, I really wish I had another hour here. This museum made me fall in love with modern art. Sometimes I feel like I’m just observing art, but a lot of these pieces have stuck with me and carry a message that you can take away beyond just looking at a photo of it. If you want to make sense of modern art, visit ARoS!! My favorite piece was part of a temporary exhibition of Isaac Julien titled Statues Never Die, featuring his film on the complicated interplay of art, race, and history. 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed learning about my Core Course Week with my Cyberpsychology class :) See you next time!