About Us

• Golden Award in Educational Leader Awards 2021, Category: ‘Universities-Online and Distance Learning’, with the distance learning application for co-teaching university lectures with the aid of the socially assistive Nao robot (Athens, 2021)
• Bronze Award in Educational Leader Awards 2021, with Augmented Reality Application for distance learning environments- Educational Robotics (Athens, 2021)
• As part of the STIMEY program – Science Technology Innovation Mathematics Engineering for the Young (HORIZON2020 H2020-SEAC-2015-1, Grant Agreement number: 709515), the LIRES laboratory designed and developed two social interaction robots to support students in STEM objects. One of the LIRES robot prototypes, won third place in the IDA2018  international competition in the educational technology category (Los Angeles, 2019). 
• The Daisy robot, developed for educational applications for people on the Autism spectrum with the aim of acquiring social skills, has won the TELLUS 2015 award for innovative technologies in education (Paris 2015). 
• The workshop, by invitation, participated in the exhibition “Tech for Social Good” held at the European Parliament (November 2018), 
• The first national mission of Greece at CES Las Vegas (January 2019), at TIF 2018
• World Robot Olympiad (WRO)
  • The Robotics Academy was ranked 10th in Sochi, Russia (November, 2014)
  • The Robotics Academy was ranked first in Greece (June, 2014)
  • The Robotics Academy was ranked first and participated in the World Robotic Olympiad in Malaysia (November, 2012)
  • The Robotics Academy was ranked first and participated in the World Robotic Olympiad in the Philippines (November, 2010)

Research areas of the laboratory are: Human-robot interaction, design and development of prototypes of robotic entities for social support applications (Socially Assistive Robotics) based on the stakeholders’ needs, Educational Robotics, utilization of robotic technologies in the development of skills and strategies, Digital transformation for Sustainable Development Education, etc.  

LIRES members (members of the University of Macedonia and other Universities, PhD candidates and external researchers) implement National, European, and inside projects, with publications in scientific journals / conferences and awards in international competitions. 

It is a multidisciplinary group, consisted of Engineers, Psychologists, Teachers, Architects, Social Scientists and STEM experts. LIRES is well equipped in infrastructure, software, and material for the development of robotic components, robotic systems, and robotic system technologies. In addition, with continuous participation competitive research and development programs, funded by the EU, the G.G.E.T. and industrial partners.

LIRES has excellent know-how in a wide range of objects, including design and implementation of robotic systems with social, pedagogical, and industrial character.

The LIRES laboratory supports the Postgraduate Program “Sciences of Education and Lifelong Learning” in the implementation of research with the development of technological and software.

The LIRES laboratory also supports social actions in collaboration with services and social organizations. At the same time, it is supervised by the Robotics Academy of UoM (https://robotics.uom.gr), whose courses are attended by students of all ages throughout Greece.