citizen co-creation on design requirements and ethics of A.I. urban robots

we designed and co-facilitated a workshop series for FARI and the City of Brussels, enabling civil servants and citizens to explore future applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled service robots in urban environments, requirements and form factors. Through methodology selection, facilitation, and visual storytelling, we helped transform complex abstract topics into structured, actionable citizen dialogue.

client
FARI AI Logo
scope
WORKSHOP FACILITATION
PUBLIC SECTOR
ROBOTICS
location
approach

combining Brussels smart city ambitions, prototyping and robotics research 

citizen engagement

we selected participatory formats that captured perspectives from civil servants/ citizens, grounding future robotics concepts in real-world needs and enabling dialogue between researchers and the people that will be impacted by the products emerging from this research

design doing

we applied methods from Design Thinking, Product Development and Industrial Design to enable “learning by doing”, combining urban robot research insights with citizen needs discovery, ideation and rapid prototyping

robotics trends

we show-cased service robotics trends and scenarios to help participants envision responsible and meaningful applications of robots in the Brussels-Capital Region, inspired by robot applications in the air, water and on the ground (view image carousel for examples of drones for forest planning, underwater robots for sewage inspection, healthcare, intralogistics, etc.)

”It was crucial to work with a professional facilitator specialized in Service Design and Design Thinking, Diana Schneider, for this series of workshops.

Dr. Michel Joop Van der SchoorResponsible Service Robots
outcome

form factor, legal & ethical robot requirements

the project transformed the research question, “how can AI-enabled service robots create value in Brussels?” into a structured citizen engagement Design Thinking workshop series, where citizens, civil servants and researchers explored urban challenges, identified opportunities and co-created service concepts for a smarter, more inclusive Brussels

beyond concept generation, the project uncovered how people perceive emerging technologies, what drives trust and acceptance, and which features matter most in public-sector innovation.

the workshops culminated in a set of human-centred design principles for urban robotics, including accessibility, simplicity, transparency, sustainability, stakeholder involvement and ethical responsibility: a practical foundation for future AI, robotics and smart city initiatives seeking to create responsible innovation with and for citizens. The resulting framework demonstrated the value of participatory design for defining user needs, identifying functional requirements and building public confidence in AI-enabled robotics solutions

client briefing

as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics move from research labs into public spaces, cities face the question: how can new technologies create meaningful value for citizens while remaining trustworthy, inclusive and ethically responsible?

value of design
  • Citizen needs translated into innovation opportunities
  • Public trust embedded into AI and robotics design
  • Complex technology made tangible and actionable
  • Shared alignment across citizens, researchers and public administrations
  • Human-centred principles for responsible AI adoption

for FARI, the AI for the Common Good Institute in Brussels, we designed and facilitated a citizen-centred co-creation programme that helped explore this question through the lens of urban service robotics. Collaborating with robotics researcher Dr. Michel Joop Van der Schoor, we designed and facilitated a co-creation process that translated ambitious research objectives into an accessible and engaging participant experience. The workshop series followed the 4-phased Double Diamond Design Thinking approach:

1

EXPLORE

the first session focused on identifying challenges and opportunities within Brussels as a smart city, using participants’ lived experiences to formulate needs and problem statements. Discussions highlighted themes such as accessibility, mobility, digital inclusion, health, environmental quality, administrative complexity and the need for stronger collaboration between public institutions. Rather than starting with technology, the process deliberately began with citizen and user needs, ensuring that any future robotics applications would be grounded in real-world challenges rather than technological possibilities alone
2

REFRAME

these insights were subsequently brought into a wider public conversation during the “I Love Science Festival”, where citizens were invited to prioritize challenges and contribute ideas for robot-enabled services, to converge to a set of selected urban robot challenges. This step created a broader discussion around the role of AI and robotics in society while generating valuable input on public expectations. The consultation revealed strong interest in solutions related to waste management, water quality, public health, accessibility, mobility and citizen support services, providing a clear indication of where urban robotics could create perceived public value
3

CREATE

building on these contributions, the second workshop guided participants through the ideation of service robot concepts, inspired by innovative robots from Jungheinrich, Bedrock, ABB, Hilti, Roboat, Shark Robotics, etc. Among the resulting ideas were a multilingual public service assistant supporting citizens and administrative staff, an open-data platform enabling infrastructure monitoring and scenario planning, and concepts addressing transport, nutrition, water quality and public-service accessibility. Through facilitation and structured concept development, complex discussions about AI and robotics were transformed into concrete, citizen-inspired service propositions
4

CATALYSE

the last workshop used rapid prototyping techniques to stress-test and visualize potential solutions, capturing instant feedback in the streets of Brussels to make the concepts more robust and (in)validate user assumptions. This crucial step helped FARI researchers better understand expectations around usability, accessibility, trust and human-robot interaction

inspired

by this project?

Do you have a question about this project? Head over to the blogpost published by FARI. Would you like to discuss how a similar approach can benefit your organisation? 

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