Robot Operations and Management Discovery Intern

Project Description

This internship offers an exciting opportunity to study how robots are operated and managed across existing Government deployments, building on initial Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research already conducted. Findings will be synthesised to identify recurring operational challenges and inform potential interventions to improve the effective adoption and management of robots.

Project Objectives

· Understand how robots are operated, supported, and managed in real-world Government environments.

· Identify recurring user needs, operational pain points, workarounds, and underlying problems across different robot deployments.

· Map key workflows and interactions across frontline users, supervisors, service contractors, robot vendors, and agencies.

Expected Deliverables

· User research findings and synthesis across selected Government robot deployments.

· User journeys, service blueprints, workflow maps, and prioritised problem and opportunity areas.

· Concepts and prototypes of selected interventions, supported by user testing and iteration.

· Final recommendations on potential interventions, robot management solutions, and areas for further development.

Requirements

User Research Background

· Experience or interest in qualitative user and field research, including interviews, contextual inquiry, and field observations.

· Ability to analyse and synthesise qualitative data into user needs, insights, journeys, service blueprints, and problem maps.

· Strong communication, curiosity, and analytical skills, with the ability to engage users from different operational backgrounds.

UI/UX Background

· Experience or interest in UI/UX, interaction, or product design, including user flows, wireframes, mock-ups, and interactive prototyping.

· Familiarity with design and prototyping tools such as Figma, as well as user-centred design methodologies.

· Ability to translate research findings into design concepts, conduct usability testing, and iteratively improve designs based on user feedback.

Interns should be comfortable conducting on-site research and engaging with frontline operational users.