Third-level education presents ongoing challenges for students with additional needs, including neurodivergence, anxiety, and barriers to engagement. While social robotics has been widely explored as a potential support mechanism (Youssef et al, 2023), much of the existing literature focuses on controlled environments, short-term interventions, or theoretical applications (see Tozadore & Romero, 2024; Tisza et al, 2025).

This paper presents a practical case study of deploying a social robot (Buddy©) within a higher education setting, highlighting the gap between conceptual promise and real-world implementation.

Initial research explored student perceptions of social robots as tools for supporting learning and well-being. However, delays in hardware acquisition and significant challenges in system integration—including device configuration, platform compatibility, and remote connectivity—shifted the project's focus to understanding the technical, organisational, and user-experience barriers to deploying such systems in practice.

This study documents the process of overcoming these challenges, including integrating third-party communication platforms, configuring robotic operating systems, and developing workflows to enable meaningful student interaction.

Findings combine previously unreported student perception data, insights from on-campus deployment and interaction, and a critical analysis of technical and infrastructure barriers.

The paper argues that the successful adoption of social robotics in higher education depends not only on its pedagogical value but also on institutional readiness, robust deployment frameworks, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

This work contributes a practical roadmap for researchers and institutions, moving the discourse from experimental potential toward sustainable, real-world implementation.