Design for Values (DfV) in Action. The case of Robotics for Social Sustainability

A plurality of methodologies and frameworks have been proposed in recent years to embed robotics and other emerging technologies in human social practices, in line with the policy-aims of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). In this paper, we discuss and explore recent findings related to Design for Values (DfV), which is a systematic and theoretically grounded approach that tries to integrate design processes with human social and moral values. Such findings will be analysed in light of specific robotic platforms, and by discussing and reviewing some of the results we recently published. The main objective is to show how and to what extent DfV may constitute a coherent methodology to incorporate dimensions of social sustainability into robotic design and development. This may serve to further advance the understanding of robotics as an inherently cross-domain field of studies, as primarily laid out in the scientific mission of Robot Companions (RCs), i.e., robots that will be designed to create new sustainable, affordable, and socially beneficial solutions for all citizens.