���� � SPECIAL SECTION: ROBOTS Towards Collaboration with Robots in Shared Space: Spatial Perspective and Frames of Reference

Abstract

them; participate in successful relationships with people that provide benefit over the long term; understand people as people—in social-psychological terms to appreciate our goals, beliefs, feelings, etc.; and communicate with us in human-centered terms. Given that robots have been exploring other planets for years, it’s ironic to think of your home as the “final frontier ” for robots. But the complexity of human society raises many new challenges for them. However, with every advance in these “grand challenge” areas, R2-D2 and C-3PO are coming closer to a home near you. ABOUT THE AUTHOR A pioneer in the areas of human-robot interaction and sociable robotics, Cynthia Breazeal is an assistant professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab where she is director of the Robotic Life Group and holds the LG Group career development chair. Her research interests focus on the scientific pursuit and technological innovation necessary to create machines that understand and engage people in social and affective terms. Her first book, Designing Sociable Robots, is published by The MIT Press (2002). © ACM 1072-5220/05/0300 $5.00 IMAGINE MOBILE ROBOTS OF THE FUTURE, working side by side with humans, collaborating in a shared workspace. For this to become a reality, robots must be able to d