Human-like Characteristics Research Articles

The effect of voice and humour on users’ perceptions of personal intelligent agents

ABSTRACT Personal Intelligent Agents (PIAs) like Siri and Alexa are becoming more popular among users. In this paper, we investigate the effect of humour and voice of personal intelligent agents, their impact on users’ perceptions of intelligence and anthropomorphism, and the relationship of these perceptions with cognitive- and emotion-based trust. The results from an online experiment show that humour and voice significantly and positively influence users’ perceptions of anthropomorphism. These perceptions positively impact users’ emotion-based trust, which increases their intention to use the PIA. We also find that perceptions of intelligence shape users’ cognitive-based trust in the PIA. Our model is novel because it examines two key design characteristics of PIAs and articulates their effects on user perceptions. The effect of human-like characteristics, specifically humour and voice, on perceptions of intelligence and anthropomorphism and the potential impact on users’ cognitive- and emotion-based trust in PIAs have not been explored in an IS context.

Rauk - A Forgotten Witness of Holocene Sea-level Change and Development of Baltic Rocky Coasts: A Pilot Geomorphological Study in Lergrav Raukar Field

Strzelecki, M.C.; Duszyński, F.; Tyszkowski, S.; Zbucki, Ł., and Kasprzak, M., 2020. Rauk - Forgotten witness of Holocene sea-level change and development of Baltic rocky coastal zone: A pilot geomorphological study in Lergrav raukar field. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 659–663. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The Holocene history of Baltic Sea evolution is definitely one of the most interesting and intriguing stories of environmental change in Europe. To date, the key information on changes in sea-level and shifts in the environment associated with climate fluctuations were found in coastal lakes, marshes and wide stripe of barrier-lagoon systems of southern Baltic. Only limited research was conducted along rocky coasts, so characteristic features for Baltic islands from Bornholm, through Oland, Gotland, Fårö, Hiiumaa, Saarema to thousands of isles of Åland Archipelago. Among the most thrilling natural wonders found along Baltic coasts are rauks or raukars, unique limestone stacks—often with humanlike features—that tower above rocky shore platforms in northern Gotland and on Fårö, Gotland's sister island. Raukar coasts are one of the greatest touristic attractions in Sweden and the mythical coastal landscape of northern Gotland and Fårö had inspired many artists, including Ingmar Bergman. Surprisingly, what attracts tourists and artists, have been neglected by geomorphologists and those fascinating landforms still wait for detailed explanation of their origin and preservation. This paper provides insight into pilot geomorphological study of raukar coast in Lergrav, NE Gotland. Schmidt hammer rock tests were applied to characterize the degree of weathering of rock surface of well-preserved notches. The results of notch rock surface resistance and elevation above present sea-level are discussed with recent relative sea-level curves developed in the region.

The old doom of a new technology

Although robots are largely designed with industrial, scientific or military aims in mind, many designers seek to endow them with anthropomorphic forms, even at the risk of compromising their functionality. Why do they not content themselves with constructing useful machines, rather than also incorporating human-like features? What drives them to cover their machines with a latex coating to simulate human skin? The utopia of the creation of a double appears also in the world of art, the history of which shows, above all, an outcome that coincides with the abandonment of the naturalistic imperative, and the inauguration of various periods of exploration and innovation. That is why a possible roboaesthetics—i.e. robotics and aesthetics combined could give rise to a new scenario. This view would acknowledges the radical novelty of these ‘species’ and induce the adoption of a new observation level, constructed on the basis of a common project.

Characteristics of the endometrium in menstruating species: lessons learned from the animal kingdom†

Here we have summarized what is currently known about menstruating animal species with special emphasis on non-primate species: length of their menstrual cycle, ovulation, implantation, placentation, decidualization, and endometrial characteristics. Having an overview of all the possible animal models that can be used to study menstruation and the menstrual cycle could be useful to select the one that better matches the needs of the individual research projects. The most promising species to study menstruation seems to be the spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus. It is a rodent that could be easily held in the existing laboratory facilities for rats and mice but with the great advantage of having spontaneous menstruation and several human-like menstrual cycle characteristics. Among the species of menstruating bats, the black mastiff bat Molossus ater and wild fulvous fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultii are the ones presenting the most human-like characteristics. The elephant shrew seems to be the less suitable species among the ones analyzed. The induced mouse model of menstruation is also presented as an adaptable alternative to study menstruation.

Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale

Brand anthropomorphism is recognised as an important construct in marketing, yet it lacks clarity in operationalisation and valid measurement. The objective of this research, therefore, is to develop and validate the brand anthropomorphism scale (BASC). Brand anthropomorphism is defined as the perception of brand as an entity that has analogical human-like features, mental and emotional states that people believe to be distinctively human. It is conceptualised as a multidimensional superordinate construct. Across six studies (N = 1666), this research develops a valid and reliable measure of brand anthropomorphism that has psychometric properties for convergent, discriminant and predictive validity. The results indicate that brand anthropomorphism is a valid predictor of outcomes such as brand trust and brand commitment. Finally, in support of incremental validity, it is identified that the BASC explains variance in brand trust and brand commitment above and beyond the measure of brand anthropomorphism commonly employed in the literature. Theoretical implications for research and implications for practice are also discussed.

Hybrid Active Control With Human Intention Detection of an Upper-Limb Cable-Driven Rehabilitation Robot

Rehabilitation robots play an increasingly important role in the recovery of motor function for stroke. To ensure a natural physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) and enhance the active participation of subjects, it is necessary for the robots to understand the human intention and cooperate actively with humanlike characteristics. This study proposed a hybrid active control algorithm with human motion intention detection. The motion intention was defined as the desired position and velocity, which were continuously estimated according to the human upper-limb model and minimum jerk model, respectively. The motion intention was then fed into a hybrid force and position controller of an upper-limb cable driven rehabilitation robot (CDRR). And a three-dimensional reaching task without predefined trajectory was employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm. Experimental results showed that the control algorithm could continuously recognize the human motion intention and enabled the robot better movement performance indicated as smaller offset error, smoother trajectory, and lower impact. The proposed method could guarantee a natural pHRI and improve the engagement of the subjects, which has great potential in clinical applications.

IOC Based Trajectory Generation to Increase Human Acceptance of Robot Motions in Collaborative Tasks

Abstract Collaboration between humans and robots is an important aspect of Industry 4.0. It can be improved by incorporating human-like characteristics into robot motion planning. It is assumed that humans move optimal with respect to a certain objective or cost function. To find this function, also for a robot, we use an inverse optimal control approach identifying what linear weighted combination of physically interpretable cost functions best mimics human point-to-point motions. A bi-level optimization is used, where the upper level compares the optimal robot result of the lower level with human reference motions. Two depth cameras are combined in a setup to record these reference motions. The resulting weighted cost functions are then used to generate new motions for a seven degrees of freedom robot arm. The resulting optimized motions are compared to standard robot motions based on linear interpolation in joint or task space. The comparison is performed by means of a small experiment where preliminary observations show that humans experience these motions as more anthropomorphic and feel at least equally comfortable and safe compared to existing motion planning strategies.

Designing and Evaluating a Digital Family Health History Tool for Spanish Speakers.

Digital family health history tools have been developed but few have been tested with non-English speakers and evaluated for acceptability and usability. This study describes the cultural and linguistic adaptation and evaluation of a family health history tool (VICKY: VIrtual Counselor for Knowing Your Family History) for Spanish speakers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 56 Spanish-speaking participants; a subset of 30 also participated in a qualitative component to evaluate the acceptability and usability of Spanish VICKY. Overall, agreement in family history assessment was moderate between VICKY and a genetic counselor (weighted kappa range: 0.4695 for stroke—0.6615 for heart disease), although this varied across disease subtypes. Participants felt comfortable using VICKY and noted that VICKY was very likeable and possessed human-like characteristics. They reported that VICKY was very easy to navigate, felt that the instructions were very clear, and thought that the time it took to use the tool was just right. Spanish VICKY may be useful as a tool to collect family health history and was viewed as acceptable and usable. The study results shed light on some cultural differences that may influence interactions with family history tools and inform future research aimed at designing and testing culturally and linguistically diverse digital systems.

Acute Rabbit Eye Model for Testing Subretinal Prostheses.

PurposeSubretinal prostheses are a novel technology for restoring useful vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration. We characterize the surgical implantation technique and functional time window of an acute rabbit eye model for testing of human subretinal prostheses.MethodsRetinal prostheses were implanted subretinally in 26 rabbits using a two-step technique. Fundus imaging, fluorescein fundus angiography, and optical coherence topography (OCT) were conducted postoperatively from days 1 to 21 to monitor prosthesis positioning and retinal anatomic changes.ResultsSuccessful implantation and excellent retina apposition were achieved in 84.6% of the rabbits. OCTs showed the overlying retina at full thickness for the first 2 days after implantation. Histology confirmed intact inner layers of the overlying retina until day 3. Progressive atrophy of the overlying retina was revealed by repeated OCTs; approximately 40% of the retina thickness remained on postoperative days 5 and 6.ConclusionsThe two-step implantation technique works well for the rabbit eye model with human prostheses. Rabbit retina may be used for acute electrophysiologic testing of a retinal prosthesis, but is unsuitable for chronic studies due to the merangiotic retina and its limited time window of validity.Translational RelevanceThe improved efficacy in prosthesis surgery using this technique will circumvent the challenges in animal models that provide human-like features critical for the transition into human clinical trials.

Reachy, a 3D-Printed Human-Like Robotic Arm as a Testbed for Human-Robot Control Strategies

To this day, despite the increasing motor capability of robotic devices, elaborating efficient control strategies is still a key challenge in the field of humanoid robotic arms. In particular, providing a human “pilot” with efficient ways to drive such a robotic arm requires thorough testing prior to integration into a finished system. Additionally, when it is needed to preserve anatomical consistency between pilot and robot, such testing requires to employ devices showing human-like features. To fulfill this need for a biomimetic test platform, we present Reachy, a human-like life-scale robotic arm with seven joints from shoulder to wrist. Although Reachy does not include a poly-articulated hand and is therefore more suitable for studying reaching than manipulation, a robotic hand prototype from available third-party projects could be integrated to it. Its 3D-printed structure and off-the-shelf actuators make it inexpensive relatively to the price of an industrial-grade robot. Using an open-source architecture, its design makes it broadly connectable and customizable, so it can be integrated into many applications. To illustrate how Reachy can connect to external devices, this paper presents several proofs of concept where it is operated with various control strategies, such as tele-operation or gaze-driven control. In this way, Reachy can help researchers to explore, develop and test innovative control strategies and interfaces on a human-like robot.

The impact of pictorial realism in educational science television on U.S. children’s learning and transfer of biological facts

ABSTRACTAlthough children’s science television shows aim to educate young audiences, a recent content analysis found that these shows are mostly animated and often depict science information anthropomorphically. An experiment examined the implications of these depictions for children’s learning and transfer of scientific information. Preschoolers viewed two videos about insect communication from a popular children’s television show that contained either realistic or anthropomorphic visuals of insects. Results indicated that initial learning from the show did not differ between conditions. However, one week later, children who viewed the show with realistic visuals were more likely to transfer what they learned to real insects, whereas children who viewed the show with anthropomorphic visuals were more likely to attribute humanlike characteristics to real insects. Contrary to predictions, these effects were not mediated by children’s attention to the show or their reality judgments of the factual content.

Trust in humanoid robots: implications for services marketing

PurposeService robots can offer benefits to consumers (e.g. convenience, flexibility, availability, efficiency) and service providers (e.g. cost savings), but a lack of trust hinders consumer adoption. To enhance trust, firms add human-like features to robots; yet, anthropomorphism theory is ambiguous about their appropriate implementation. This study therefore aims to investigate what is more effective for fostering trust: appearance features that are more human-like or social functioning features that are more human-like.Design/methodology/approachIn an experimental field study, a humanoid service robot displayed gaze cues in the form of changing eye colour in one condition and static eye colour in the other. Thus, the robot was more human-like in its social functioning in one condition (displaying gaze cues, but not in the way that humans do) and more human-like in its appearance in the other (static eye colour, but no gaze cues). Self-reported data from 114 participants revealing their perceptions of trust, anthropomorphism, interaction comfort, enjoyment and intention to use were analysed using partial least squares path modelling.FindingsInteraction comfort moderates the effect of gaze cues on anthropomorphism, insofar as gaze cues increase anthropomorphism when comfort is low and decrease it when comfort is high. Anthropomorphism drives trust, intention to use and enjoyment.Research limitations/implicationsTo extend human–robot interaction literature, the findings provide novel theoretical understanding of anthropomorphism directed towards humanoid robots.Practical implicationsBy investigating which features influence trust, this study gives managers insights into reasons for selecting or optimizing humanoid robots for service interactions.Originality/valueThis study examines the difference between appearance and social functioning features as drivers of anthropomorphism and trust, which can benefit research on self-service technology adoption.

When does technology anthropomorphism help alleviate customer dissatisfaction after a service failure? – The moderating role of consumer technology self-efficacy and interdependent self-construal

ABSTRACTGiven the increasing presence of humanoid service robots at airports, hotels and restaurants, the current study investigates how consumers’ interdependent self-construal and technology self-efficacy jointly influence their reactions to service machines with humanlike features in a service failure context. The results demonstrate that consumers show varying levels of dissatisfaction with a service failure caused by an anthropomorphic (vs. non-anthropomorphic) self-service machine depending on their levels of interdependent self-construal (high vs. low) and technology self-efficacy (high vs. low). The underlying mechanism is self-blame. The theoretical contributions to the existing service technology research and the emerging anthropomorphism literature are discussed. This research also provides practical guidelines to industry practitioners for more efficient usage of service robots in delivering customer service.

Transparency for a Workload-Adaptive Cognitive Agent in a Manned–Unmanned Teaming Application

This study focuses on the transparent design of a cognitive agent to enhance situation awareness in two aspects of a human-agent teaming application: assisted system management and mixed-initiative mission planning. Adaptive and complex agent behavior might result in the failure to comprehend resulting interventions, a decrease in trust, and a loss of overall situation awareness. This study describes and validates a concept for transparent agent design by adopting the transparency strategies proposed by the “situation awareness-based agent transparency model.” The overall objective was to improve the human operator's perception, comprehension, and projection of the agent's support. The concept was applied to the prototype of a workload-adaptive cognitive agent, which supports a helicopter crew during mission planning and execution in complex and dynamically changing multi-vehicle missions. A human-in-the-loop experiment revealed enhancements in situation awareness and performance. Subjective trust measures implied an increase in human-like characteristics of the cognitive agent. The results and the potential for further research are discussed.

Innovative mouse model mimicking human-like features of spinal cord injury: efficacy of Docosahexaenoic acid on acute and chronic phases

Traumatic spinal cord injury has dramatic consequences and a huge social impact. We propose a new mouse model of spinal trauma that induces a complete paralysis of hindlimbs, still observable 30 days after injury. The contusion, performed without laminectomy and deriving from the pressure exerted directly on the bone, mimics more closely many features of spinal injury in humans. Spinal cord was injured at thoracic level 10 (T10) in adult anesthetized female CD1 mice, mounted on stereotaxic apparatus and connected to a precision impactor device. Following severe injury, we evaluated motor and sensory functions, and histological/morphological features of spinal tissue at different time points. Moreover, we studied the effects of early and subchronic administration of Docosahexaenoic acid, investigating functional responses, structural changes proximal and distal to the lesion in primary and secondary injury phases, proteome modulation in injured spinal cord. Docosahexaenoic acid was able i) to restore behavioural responses and ii) to induce pro-regenerative effects and neuroprotective action against demyelination, apoptosis and neuroinflammation. Considering the urgent health challenge represented by spinal injury, this new and reliable mouse model together with the positive effects of docosahexaenoic acid provide important translational implications for promising therapeutic approaches for spinal cord injuries.

The immune responses to influenza vaccine in aged and metabolic disease occurred cynomolgus macaques

Abstract The analysis of age-related immune senescent is extremely meaningful to understand the vital homeostasis in individuals among the aging society. Influenza virus (FluV) infection is a major public health concern due to its high infectivity and ability to severe respiratory illness in elderly people. The reduced immune responses after Flu vaccination in humans are recognized in aging and also in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM). Understanding the hypofunction in aging and lifestyle diseases is necessary to optimize vaccination resume and the comprehensive analysis of that will provide a great impact on public health burden. However, several factors affect the biofunctional analysis in human. Cynomolgus macaques (CMs) show human-like characteristics such as higher brain functions, long life span, single pregnancy. In the present study, several groups of CMs, including DM and hyperlipidemia (HL) occurred CMs, were subcutaneously immunized with seasonal trivalent Flu vaccine and assessed immune responses. The reduced humoral and cellular immune responses to Flu vaccine were observed in the elderly CMs group compare to the young group and induced anti-HA antibody titers were negatively correlated with age. In particular, Flu-specific immune responses were considerably decreased in DM group despite their youth. However, the reduced humoral and cellular immune responses were not observed in HL group, unlike DM CMs. These results suggested that elderly or DM and HL occurred CMs should be a powerful tool to reveal the comprehensive mechanisms for hypofunction in aging and lifestyle diseases through a long-life span. This study will help to enhance the immune response to vaccine in metabolic disease and aged person.

Generalisation of Anthropomorphic Stereotype

Anthropomorphic projection can bring familiarity, confidence and simplicity to our interactions with unknown agents showing a human-like resemblance or behaviour. This study examined whether this projection is generalised beyond the individual agent to encompass others of similar type, even if they might be lacking the requisite human-like features. In an experiment participants had to accept or reject recommendations from two robots that had more or less human-like forms and behaviours. It was found that participants were more likely to trust the judgements of a less-human like robot if they had previously interacted with an anthropomorphic variant. Importantly, this effect was found to be symmetric, with trust in anthropomorphic robots reduced if participants had previously interacted with a less human-like variant. These results showed that we generalise our initial attributions across agent categories, a finding with potential application in helping trust and acceptance of complex technological agents.

Relative fibular strength and locomotor behavior in KNM-WT 15000 and OH 35

Relative fibular/tibial strength has been demonstrated to vary with locomotor behavior among anthropoid primates. In this study fibular/tibial strength was determined in KNM-WT 15000, a juvenile Homo erectus individual (1.5 Ma), and in OH 35, a Homo habilis (or possibly Paranthropus boisei) individual (1.8 Ma), and compared to that of adult modern humans (n = 79), chimpanzees (n = 16), gorillas (n = 16) and orangutans (n = 11). Ontogenetic changes in fibular/tibial strength were also analyzed due to KNM-WT 15000's juvenile status. Cross-sectional properties at midshaft were derived from multi-plane radiography and external contours, or CT scanning. Comparisons of log-transformed fibular/tibial polar second moment of area and anteroposterior (A-P) and mediolateral (M-L) second moments of area were carried out between extant species. Fossil deviations from each extant taxon's mean proportion were calculated in standard deviation (SD) units for that taxon. Great apes differ significantly from modern humans, with relatively stronger fibulae, particularly in the M-L plane. KNM-WT 15000 is more than 2 SD from all great apes (≥3 SD in the M-L plane) and within 1 SD of modern humans for almost all variables. This is not a result of its age, as fibular/tibial strength slightly decreases with age (i.e., becomes less like that of great apes) in humans. OH 35 falls within 1 SD of chimpanzees and orangutans for the majority of cross-sectional proportions, but more than 1 SD from humans. KNM-WT 15000 is demonstrated to be fully modern, complimenting other indications of complete terrestrial bipedality and possibly showing adaptations for endurance running. OH 35 has some human-like features; however, the relative strength of the two bones aligns the specimen with great apes, consistent with a significant degree of arboreality, in particular, vertical climbing.

“How may i help you?” Says a robot: Examining language styles in the service encounter

Is figurative or literal language more effective in the service encounter context? The current research reveals that literal language used by a service provider might be more congruent with conversational norms, thus leading to better customer evaluation. Most importantly, the effectiveness of language styles (literal vs. figurative) is contingent on a service agent type (human vs. robot vs. kiosk). Specifically, consumers respond more favorably to human service agents who use literal (vs. figurative) language, and due to the notion of anthropomorphism such an effect extends to service robots. However, the language style effect is not observed among service kiosks as they lack humanlike features. Furthermore, perceived credibility is the underlying mechanism explaining the language style effect among service agents.

Perceived Human-Likeness of Social Robots: Testing the Rasch Model as a Method for Measuring Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is generally defined as the attribution of human-like characteristics to social robots and other non-human objects. We argue that different researchers have different interpretations of this concept, leading to measuring instruments that focus on different subsets of human-like characteristics. In the current paper, we discuss these different interpretations and explore a new method for measuring anthropomorphism, based on the Rasch model. The aim of the current work is to map anthropomorphism as a range of human-like characteristics on a one-dimensional scale. The scale’s validity and sensitivity were tested by comparing it with two available measuring instruments and by comparing people’s responses to different types of agents. In three studies, we explored whether the Rasch model is suitable for measuring anthropomorphism. Despite some limitations, results showed that the Rasch model can successfully be applied to the measurement of anthropomorphism. Implications for future work on anthropomorphism of social robots are discussed.