In higher education (HE), technological innovations like robot assistants are important for optimizing in-person educational activities and improving the efficiency of administrative tasks. Robot-assisted education, supported by artificial intelligence (AI), offers promise in addressing challenges and improving teaching methods. These technologies enhance interactivity and inclusivity, serving diverse student needs and automating administrative tasks, including attendance monitoring, ultimately allowing lecturers to focus on quality teaching. A pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using robot assistants for attendance checks in HE to relieve lecturers from conducting it manually and to speed up the process. The study used a Temi robot to check student attendance, along with a simple survey to measure acceptability by participants. The GDPR concerns and AI regulations were addressed, ensuring the voluntary nature of using facial recognition technology and the secure handling of data. Students’ feedback on usability and comfort levels helped us to understand preferences based on user roles and characteristics. Initial feedback on using robot assistants for attendance checks in HE from students’ perspective is positive. Further exploration is needed to understand lecturers’ perspectives, address technical and regulatory limitations and alleviate privacy concerns. Our results propose that robot assistants could be successfully used to improve attendance monitoring and reduce lecturers’ administrative workload.