Abstract
Recent technological developments like cheap sensors and the decreasing costs of computational power have brought the possibility of robotic home companions within reach. In order to be accepted it is vital for these robots to be able to participate meaningfully in social interactions with their users and to make them feel comfortable during these interactions. In this study we investigated how people respond to a situation where a companion robot is watching its user. Specifically, we tested the effect of robotic behaviours that are synchronised with the actions of a human. We evaluated the effects of these behaviours on the robot’s likeability and perceived intelligence using an online video survey. The robot used was Care-O-bot3, a non-anthropomorphic robot with a limited range of expressive motions. We found that even minimal, positively synchronised movements during an object-oriented task were interpreted by participants as engagement and created a positive disposition towards the robot. However, even negatively synchronised movements of the robot led to more positive perceptions of the robot, as compared to a robot that does not move at all. The results emphasise a) the powerful role that robot movements in general can have on participants’ perception of the robot, and b) that synchronisation of body movements can be a powerful means to enhance the positive attitude towards a non-anthropomorphic robot.
Highlights
Research in social robotics and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) has recently focused on building robotic companions capable of fulfilling a range of assistive functions [1] including healthcare and support for elderly people in their own homes
One solution could be a combination of companion robots and smart home technology in private households to enable elderly people to live independently for longer in their own homes
In a direct comparison of live HRI and Video-based HRI we found comparable results [36, 37]
Summary
Research in social robotics and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) has recently focused on building robotic companions capable of fulfilling a range of assistive functions [1] including healthcare and support for elderly people in their own homes. This development is reflected in the increasing EU funding for projects dedicated to companion robots [2, 3, 4]. Many of the currently available social robots are to a certain degree anthropomorphic [13, 14, 15, 16] If they are not humanoid they usually have at least a part that loosely resembles a ‘head’ with facial features like ‘eyes’. In anthropomorphic robots, cause them to fail the expectations triggered by their appearance and to fall into the (hypothesised) Uncanny Valley [19, 20, 21]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
