6,146 research outputs found
Close encounters : spatial distances between people and a robot of mechanistic appearance
Peer reviewe
Adoption of vehicular ad hoc networking protocols by networked robots
This paper focuses on the utilization of wireless networking in the robotics domain. Many researchers have already equipped their robots with wireless communication capabilities, stimulated by the observation that multi-robot systems tend to have several advantages over their single-robot counterparts. Typically, this integration of wireless communication is tackled in a quite pragmatic manner, only a few authors presented novel Robotic Ad Hoc Network (RANET) protocols that were designed specifically with robotic use cases in mind. This is in sharp contrast with the domain of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET). This observation is the starting point of this paper. If the results of previous efforts focusing on VANET protocols could be reused in the RANET domain, this could lead to rapid progress in the field of networked robots. To investigate this possibility, this paper provides a thorough overview of the related work in the domain of robotic and vehicular ad hoc networks. Based on this information, an exhaustive list of requirements is defined for both types. It is concluded that the most significant difference lies in the fact that VANET protocols are oriented towards low throughput messaging, while RANET protocols have to support high throughput media streaming as well. Although not always with equal importance, all other defined requirements are valid for both protocols. This leads to the conclusion that cross-fertilization between them is an appealing approach for future RANET research. To support such developments, this paper concludes with the definition of an appropriate working plan
Symmetric and asymmetric action integration during cooperative object manipulation in virtual environments
Cooperation between multiple users in a virtual environment (VE) can take place at one of three levels. These
are defined as where users can perceive each other (Level 1), individually change the scene (Level 2), or
simultaneously act on and manipulate the same object (Level 3). Despite representing the highest level of
cooperation, multi-user object manipulation has rarely been studied. This paper describes a behavioral
experiment in which the piano movers' problem (maneuvering a large object through a restricted space) was
used to investigate object manipulation by pairs of participants in a VE. Participants' interactions with the object
were integrated together either symmetrically or asymmetrically. The former only allowed the common
component of participants' actions to take place, but the latter used the mean. Symmetric action integration was
superior for sections of the task when both participants had to perform similar actions, but if participants had to
move in different ways (e.g., one maneuvering themselves through a narrow opening while the other traveled
down a wide corridor) then asymmetric integration was superior. With both forms of integration, the extent to
which participants coordinated their actions was poor and this led to a substantial cooperation overhead (the
reduction in performance caused by having to cooperate with another person)
What could assistance robots learn from assistance dogs?
These studies are part of our broader project that aims at
revealing relevant aspects of human-dog interactions, which could help
to develop and test robot social behaviour. We suggest that the cooperation
between assistance dogs and their disabled owners could serve as a model to
design successful assistance robotâhuman interactions.
In Study 1, we analysed the behaviour of 32 assistance dogâowner dyads
performing a fetch and carry task. In addition to important typical behaviours
(attracting attention, eye-contact, comprehending pointing gestures), we found
differences depending on how experienced the dyad was and whether the owner
used a wheel chair or not.
In Study 2 we investigated the reactions of a subsample of dogs to unforeseen
difficulties during a retrieving task. We revealed different types of
communicative and displacement behaviours, and importantly, dogs showed a
strong commitment to execute the insoluble task or at least their behaviours lent
a âbusyâ appearance to them, which can attenuate the ownersâ disappointment.
We suggest that assistant robots should communicate their inability to solve a
problem using simple behaviours (non-verbal vocalisation, orientation
alternation), and/or could show displacement behaviours rather than simply not
performing the task.
In sum, we propose that assistant dogsâ communicative behaviours and problem
solving strategies could inspire the development of the relevant functions and
social behaviours of assistance robots
A Framework to Describe, Analyze and Generate Interactive Motor Behaviors
International audienceWhile motor interaction between a robot and a human, or between humans, has important implications for society as well as promising applications, little research has been devoted to its investigation. In particular, it is important to understand the different ways two agents can interact and generate suitable interactive behaviors. Towards this end, this paper introduces a framework for the description and implementation of interactive behaviors of two agents performing a joint motor task. A taxonomy of interactive behaviors is introduced, which can classify tasks and cost functions that represent the way each agent interacts. The role of an agent interacting during a motor task can be directly explained from the cost function this agent is minimizing and the task constraints. The novel framework is used to interpret and classify previous works on human-robot motor interaction. Its implementation power is demonstrated by simulating representative interactions of two humans. It also enables us to interpret and explain the role distribution and switching between roles when performing joint motor tasks
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