15,687 research outputs found
Ethical values and social care robots for older people : an international qualitative study
Values such as respect for autonomy, safety, enablement, independence, privacy and social connectedness should be reflected in the design of social robots. The same values should affect the process by which robots are introduced into the homes of old people to support independent living. These values may, however, be in tension. We explored what potential users thought about these values, and how the tensions between them could be resolved. With the help of partners in the ACCOMPANY project, 21 focus groups (123 participants) were convened in France, the Netherlands and the UK. These groups consisted of: (i) older people, (ii) informal carers and (iii) formal carers of older people. The participants were asked to discuss scenarios in which there is a conflict between older people and others over how a robot should be used, these conflicts reflecting tensions between values. Participants favoured compromise, persuasion and negotiation as a means of reaching agreement. Roles and related role-norms for the robot were thought relevant to resolving tensions, as were hypothetical agreements between users and robot-providers before the robot is introduced into the home. Participants' understanding of each of the values â autonomy, safety, enablement, independence, privacy and social connectedness â is reported. Participants tended to agree that autonomy often has priority over the other values, with the exception in certain cases of safety. The second part of the paper discusses how the values could be incorporated into the design of social robots and operationalised in line with the views expressed by the participants
A Review of Verbal and Non-Verbal Human-Robot Interactive Communication
In this paper, an overview of human-robot interactive communication is
presented, covering verbal as well as non-verbal aspects of human-robot
interaction. Following a historical introduction, and motivation towards fluid
human-robot communication, ten desiderata are proposed, which provide an
organizational axis both of recent as well as of future research on human-robot
communication. Then, the ten desiderata are examined in detail, culminating to
a unifying discussion, and a forward-looking conclusion
Exploring Human Compliance Toward a Package Delivery Robot
Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research on combat robots and autonomous carsdemonstrate faulty robots significantly decrease trust. However, HRI studies consistently show people overtrust domestic robots in households, emergency evacuation
scenarios, and building security. This thesis presents how two theories, cognitive dissonance and selective attention, confound domestic HRI scenarios and uses the theory
to design a novel HRI scenario with a package delivery robot in a public setting.
Over 40 undergraduates were recruited within a university library to follow a
package delivery robot to three stops, under the guise of âtesting its navigation around
people.â The second delivery was an open office which appeared private. Without
labeling the packages, in 15 trials only 2 individuals entered the room at the second
stop, whereas a pair of participants were much more likely to enter the room. Labeling
the packages significantly increased the likelihood individuals would enter the office.
The third stop was at the end of a long, isolated hallway blocked by a door marked
âEmergency Exit Only. Alarm will Sound.â No one seriously thought about opening
the door. Nonverbal robot prods such as waiting one minute or nudging the door were
perceived as malfunctioning behavior. To demonstrate selective attention, a second
route led to an emergency exit door in a public computer lab, with the intended
destination an office several feet away. When the robot communicated with beeps only
45% of individuals noticed the emergency exit door. No one noticed the emergency
exit door when the robot used speech commands, although its qualitative rating
significantly improved.
In conclusion, this thesis shows robots must make explicit requests to generate
overtrust. Explicit interactions increase participant engagement with the robot, which
increases selective attention towards their environment
How do you Play with a Robotic Toy Animal? A long-term study of Pleo
Pleo is one of the more advanced interactive toys currently available for the home market, taking the form of a robotic dinosaur. We present an exploratory study of how it was interacted with and reflected upon in the homes of six families during 2 to 10 months. Our analysis emphasizes a discrepancy between the participantsâ initial desires to borrow a Pleo and what they reported later on about their actual experiences. Further, the data suggests an apparent tension between participants expecting the robot to work as a âtoyâ while making consistent comparisons with real pet animals. We end by discussing a series of implications for design of this category of toys, in order to better maintain interest and engagement over time
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF READING: THE ROLE OF NOSTALGIA IN RE-READING FAVORITE BOOKS
There are many positive outcomes from feeling nostalgic, including reductions in loneliness and greater meaning and social connectedness. My primary research goal was to investigate whether I could trigger feelings of nostalgia from re-reading an old favorite book, and whether this elicited nostalgia would increase feelings of connectedness and meaning in life and reduce loneliness. I designed a two-study package (one correlational study and one experiment) to assess re-reading novels. Trait nostalgia was positively associated with enjoyment of re-reading books (Study 1). Re-reading a favorite novel, relative to reading a new novel or a set of newspaper articles, elicited nostalgia. Further, nostalgia mediated the relation between reading condition on loneliness, meaning in life, and social connectedness (Study 2). Future work should focus on evaluating the nostalgic benefits of other forms of storytelling
Adolescence, autism and technology: how technology can impact the social lives and wellbeing of adolescents with an autism diagnosis
Section A
Section A is a narrative review of social skills interventions that have been used to enhance the social skills of adolescents with a diagnosis of autism. The review examined the types of interventions used as well as their efficacy, acceptability and generalisability. Exploration of the research revealed some limited evidence supporting the use of technology-delivered social skills interventions. Interventions offered little benefit over in-person interventions and limited generalisability. However, such interventions were positively received by young people which may improve intervention adherence. Clinical and research implications are provided.
Section B
Section B is a mixed-methods study examining the social media experiences of 222 adolescents with and without autistic traits. Participantsâ views on the advantages and disadvantages of using social media and its impact on their social life were collected. A number of hypotheses concerning social mediaâs impact on social capital and wellbeing were tested, including the moderating role of autistic traits. Results show that social media use can have a positive impact on adolescentsâ social lives and improve online social capital. Its impact on wellbeing appeared to vary depending on autistic traits. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for clinical practice. Limitations are considered and implications for future research are provided
Digital transformation in the arts : a case study
This paper considers the interaction between digital technology and cultural organisations and the
challenges and opportunities this presents for practice and for policy. The paper is based on one of
eight 'digital R&D' projects supported by NESTA, Arts Council England and the AHRC, designed to
analyse the effects of digital innovation in UK arts organisations.
The paper focuses on a series of residencies in three UK arts organisations. The research aims to
identify the cultural conditions which support or prevent short-term digital innovation becoming
'embedded' in the ongoing practice of a cultural organisation. The paper considers differing practices,
attitudes and expectations between creative technologists and arts organisations. These differing
'cultures of innovation' may help us to understand why digital innovations often fail to move beyond
temporary and pragmatic problem-solving towards more challenging, transformational effects on
organisational strategy and culture
Autonomous behaviour in tangible user interfaces as a design factor
PhD ThesisThis thesis critically explores the design space of autonomous and actuated artefacts, considering
how autonomous behaviours in interactive technologies might shape and influence usersâ
interactions and behaviours.
Since the invention of gearing and clockwork, mechanical devices were built that both fascinate
and intrigue people through their mechanical actuation. There seems to be something magical
about moving devices, which draws our attention and piques our interest. Progress in the
development of computational hardware is allowing increasingly complex commercial products
to be available to broad consumer-markets. New technologies emerge very fast, ranging from
personal devices with strong computational power to diverse user interfaces, like multi-touch
surfaces or gestural input devices. Electronic systems are becoming smaller and smarter, as they
comprise sensing, controlling and actuation. From this, new opportunities arise in integrating
more sensors and technology in physical objects.
These trends raise some specific questions around the impacts smarter systems might have
on people and interaction: how do people perceive smart systems that are tangible and what
implications does this perception have for user interface design? Which design opportunities are
opened up through smart systems? There is a tendency in humans to attribute life-like qualities
onto non-animate objects, which evokes social behaviour towards technology. Maybe it would be
possible to build user interfaces that utilise such behaviours to motivate people towards frequent
use, or even motivate them to build relationships in which the users care for their devices. Their
aim is not to increase the efficiency of user interfaces, but to create interfaces that are more
engaging to interact with and excite people to bond with these tangible objects.
This thesis sets out to explore autonomous behaviours in physical interfaces. More specifically, I
am interested in the factors that make a user interpret an interface as autonomous. Through a
review of literature concerned with animated objects, autonomous technology and robots, I have
mapped out a design space exploring the factors that are important in developing autonomous
interfaces. Building on this and utilising workshops conducted with other researchers, I have
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developed a framework that identifies key elements for the design of Tangible Autonomous
Interfaces (TAIs). To validate the dimensions of this framework and to further unpack the
impacts on users of interacting with autonomous interfaces I have adopted a âresearch through
designâ approach. I have iteratively designed and realised a series of autonomous, interactive
prototypes, which demonstrate the potential of such interfaces to establish themselves as social
entities. Through two deeper case studies, consisting of an actuated helium balloon and desktop
lamp, I provide insights into how autonomy could be implemented into Tangible User Interfaces.
My studies revealed that through their autonomous behaviour (guided by the framework) these
devices established themselves, in interaction, as social entities. They furthermore turned out to
be acceptable, especially if people were able to find a purpose for them in their lives. This thesis
closes with a discussion of findings and provides specific implications for design of autonomous
behaviour in interfaces
Living With a Vacuum Cleaning Robot - A 6-month Ethnographic Study
Little is known about the usage, adoption process and long-term effects of domestic service robots in peopleâs homes. We investigated the usage, acceptance and process of adoption of a vacuum cleaning robot in nine households by means of a six month ethnographic study. Our major goals were to explore how the robot was used and integrated into daily practices, whether it was adopted in a durable way, and how it impacted its environment. We studied peopleâs perception of the robot and how it evolved over time, kept track of daily routines, the usage patterns of cleaning tools, and social activities related to the robot. We integrated our results in an existing framework for domestic robot adoption and outlined similarities and differences to it. Finally, we identified several factors that promote or hinder the process of adopting a domestic service robot and make suggestions to further improve human-robot interactions and the design of functional home robots toward long-term acceptance
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