A Framework for Situation-based Social Interaction

This paper presents a theoretical framework for computationally representing social situations in a robot. This work is based on interdependence theory, a social psychological theory of interaction and social situation analysis. We use interdependence theory to garner information about the social situations involving a human and a robot. We also quantify the gain in outcome resulting from situation analysis. Experiments demonstrate the utility of social situation information and of our situation-based framework as a method for guiding robot interaction. We conclude that this framework offers a principled, general approach for studying interactive robotics problems

Investigating the influence of situations and expectations on user behavior : empirical analyses in human-robot interaction

Lohse M. Investigating the influence of situations and expectations on user behavior : empirical analyses in human-robot interaction. Bielefeld (Germany): Bielefeld University; 2010.Social sciences are becoming increasingly important for robotics research as work goes on to enable service robots to interact with inexperienced users. This endeavor can only be successful if the robots learn to interpret the users' behavior reliably and, in turn, provide feedback for the users, which enables them to understand the robot. In order to achieve this goal, the thesis introduces an approach to describe the interaction situation as a dynamic construct with different levels of specificity. The situation concept is the starting point for a model which aims to explain the users' behavior. The second important component of the model is the expectations of the users with respect to the robot. Both the situation and the expectations are shown to be the main determinants of the users' behaviors. With this theoretical background in mind, the thesis examines interactions from a home tour scenario in which a human teaches a robot about rooms and objects within them. To analyze the human expectations and behaviors in this situation, two main novel methods have been developed. In particular, a quantitative method for the analysis of the users' behavior repertoires (speech, gesture, eye gaze, body orientation, etc.) is introduced. The approach focuses on the interaction level, which describes the interplay between the robot and the user. In the second novel method, also the system level is taken into account, which includes the robot components and their interplay. This method serves for a detailed task analysis and helps to identify problems that occur in the interaction. By applying these methods, the thesis contributes to the identification of underlying expectations that allow future behavior of the users to be predicted in particular situations. Knowledge about the users' behavior repertoires serves as a cue for the robot about the state of the interaction and the task the users aim to accomplish. Therefore, it enables robot developers to adapt the interaction models of the components to the situation, actual user expectations, and behaviors. The work provides a deeper understanding of the role of expectations in human-robot interaction and contributes to the interaction and system design of interactive robots

Acceptance and Applicability of Educational Robots. Evaluating Factors Contributing to a Successful Introduction of Social Robots into Education

Reich-Stiebert N. Acceptance and Applicability of Educational Robots. Evaluating Factors Contributing to a Successful Introduction of Social Robots into Education. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2019.The use of robots in the area of education is rapidly gaining momentum. Education faces restructuring and modernization in the forthcoming age of robots, thus necessitating research meeting the requirements of this development. In this, focusing on robots’ acceptance and applicability in educational contexts, right from the very beginning, is crucial. Therefore, this dissertation thesis has addressed this issue. It has striven to evaluate factors which contribute to a successful introduction of robots into education in a systematic manner. The strengths of the current work lie in its interdisciplinary nature, theoretical fundament, and the application of empirical and experimental methods. In practical terms, a set of studies have offered insights on how the implementation and application of robots in education could be facilitated. To do so, they operated on three different levels: First, the focus was on end users’ attitudes toward educational robots. It was shown that their attitudes and willingness to use educational robots were moderate. However, the results also indicated that the acceptance of educational robots could be fostered by the promotion of people’s general technical interest and a targeted use of robots in individual or small-group learning activities, in domains related to science and technology. In addition, it was found that user involvement in an educational robot’s design process can increase people’s general acceptance of educational robots. Second, the work focused on how to effectively design a human-robot interaction (HRI) for learning purposes by building upon the cooperative learning paradigm found in educational literature. Actual HRI experiments confirmed that a robot’s physical presence was beneficial for the learning experience, and implied that positive interdependence with a robot, social support from it, and mutual feedback about the learning process were positively related to the learning experience and the learners’ perception of the robot. Third, when tackling the issue of the ideal educational robot design, it has become clear that people’s perception of robots is influenced by context- and person-specific factors. To trigger a higher acceptance of educational robots, robotics research should match potential end users’ educational robot design concepts, for example, machinelike appearance and functionality as well as privacy and safety requirements. Taken together, this dissertation presents a sound basis for identifying issues related to the implementation and application of educational robots. However, research is still far from having completed the development of strategies for implementing and using social robots in education meaningfully. Consequently, potential future research directions will be discussed in light of the obtained results

Untersuchung des Einflusses sozio-emotionaler Faktoren auf die soziale Akzeptanz und Nutzungsintention bei Lotsenrobotern

In the course of emerging service robotics research, this dissertation consists of three empirical studies to investigate how an extrovert robot personality, a tactile ability to interact and a humanoid robot appearance of robots with a hostess function impact on their social acceptance and intention to use. A field experiment has been conducted with 194 test persons. The experiment compared two versions of a shopping robot (standard version vs. extrovert version). Thereby, the standard version of the shopping robot has been adopted based on a developed extrovert concept. Next, based on a laboratory experiment with 48 students, two versions of the robot Nao have been compared with regards to their tactile ability to interact (Nao with tactile interaction vs. Nao without tactile interaction). Tactile interaction means the reaction of the robot to human contact. Finally, an online experiment with 131 students has been conducted by means of an online questionnaire. The students evaluated two shopping robots with different appearances (less humanoid vs. more humanoid shopping robot) with the help of two interactive videos. The results show that an extrovert robot personality, ability for tactile interaction and a more humanoid appearance of robots with a hostess function have a positive influence on their social acceptance and intention to use.Im Zuge der voranschreitenden Servicerobotik-Forschung, untersucht die vorliegende Dissertation in drei empirischen Teilstudien, inwiefern eine extravertierte Roboterpersönlichkeit, eine taktile Interaktionsfähigkeit und ein menschenähnliches Roboteraussehen bei Lotsenrobotern, einen Einfluss auf deren soziale Akzeptanz und Nutzungsintention haben. Im Rahmen eines Feldexperiments mit n=194 Versuchspersonen wurden zwei Roboter-Versionen eines Shoppingroboters (Standardversion vs. extravertierte Version) miteinander verglichen. Dabei wurde die Standardversion des Shoppingroboters anhand eines eigens entwickelten Extraversions-Konzepts verändert. Auf Basis eines Laborexperimentes mit n=48 Studierenden wurden zwei Versionen des Roboters Nao hinsichtlich seiner taktilen Interaktionsfähigkeit (Nao mit taktiler Interaktion vs. Nao ohne taktiler Interaktion) verglichen. Taktile Interaktion meint dabei, die Reaktion des Roboters auf die Berührung von Menschen. Zuletzt wurde ein Online-Experiment mit n=131 Studierenden durchgeführt, die im Rahmen eines Online-Fragebogens zwei verschieden aussehende Shoppingroboter (eher wenig menschenähnlicher vs. eher menschenähnlicher Shoppingroboter) mit Hilfe von zwei Videos zur Interaktion bewerteten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass eine extravertierte Roboterpersönlichkeit, eine taktile Interaktionsfähigkeit und ein eher menschenähnliches Erscheinungsbild bei Lotsenrobotern einen positiven Einfluss auf deren soziale Akzeptanz und Nutzungsintention haben

A Framework for Situation-based Social Interaction

Abstract – This paper presents a theoretical framework for computationally representing social situations in a robot. This work is based on interdependence theory, a social psychological theory of interaction and social situation analysis. We use interdependence theory to garner information about the social situations involving a human and a robot. We also quantify the gain in outcome resulting from situation analysis. Experiments demonstrate the utility of social situation information and of our situation-based framework as a method for guiding robot interaction. We conclude that this framework offers a principled, general approach for studying interactive robotics problems. Index Terms – Human-Robot Interaction, social situation, interdependence, social development