Abstract
To understand how to improve interactions with dog-like robots, we evaluated the importance of “dog-like” framing and physical appearance on interaction, hypothesizing multiple interactive benefits of each. We assessed whether framing Aibo as a puppy (i.e., in need of development) versus simply a robot would result in more positive responses and interactions. We also predicted that adding fur to Aibo would make it appear more dog-like, likable, and interactive. Twenty-nine participants engaged with Aibo in a 2 × 2 (framing × appearance) design by issuing commands to the robot. Aibo and participant behaviors were monitored per second, and evaluated via an analysis of commands issued, an analysis of command blocks (i.e., chains of commands), and using a T-pattern analysis of participant behavior. Participants were more likely to issue the “Come Here” command than other types of commands. When framed as a puppy, participants used Aibo’s dog name more often, praised it more, and exhibited more unique, interactive, and complex behavior with Aibo. Participants exhibited the most smiling and laughing behaviors with Aibo framed as a puppy without fur. Across conditions, after interacting with Aibo, participants felt Aibo was more trustworthy, intelligent, warm, and connected than at their initial meeting. This study shows the benefits of introducing a socially robotic agent with a particular frame and importance on realism (i.e., introducing the robot dog as a puppy) for more interactive engagement.
Highlights
Because research has shown that as a robot’s appearance approximates the intended agent it mimics, it may result in more positive assessments of the robot, we proposed the second hypothesis: Hypothesis 2 (H2): Adding fur to an Aibo to increase its dog-like form will result in more positive assessments and interactions than an Aibo without fur
T-patterns across each framing and appearance condition. (a) Participants smiled at Aibo with puppy framing and no fur significantly more than puppy Aibo with fur and robot Aibo with no fur; (b) Participants laughed more while interacting with Aibo with puppy framing and no fur than puppy Aibo with fur; * p < 0.05
While the study could have had a larger study population, our approach mitigated potential concerns about analyzing a small sample, including reporting moderate to large effect size for all effects, analyzing multiple repeated measures for each participant, and the use of linear mixed-effects modeling, which is an optimal analytical method to use when sample sizes are smaller. These limitations notwithstanding, our study showed that the Aibo platform and its dog-like form continue to be a successful interaction paradigm for human-robot interaction as evidenced by the increased connection, warmth, and trustworthiness felt before and after only a brief interaction with the Aibo ERS-1000
Summary
Dog-like robots have become more commonplace both in people’s personal lives and in their workplaces. The social robot Aibo can alleviate loneliness [1], serve as a companion [2,3], or be used as a tool for group therapy [4]. The Air Force adopted four-legged, dog-like robots with autonomous capabilities that can assist with patrolling and guarding remote parts of operational bases, freeing up personnel to focus on other tasks [5]
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