Promoting Critical Thinking Dispositions in Children and Adolescents Through Human-Robot Interaction with Socially Assistive Robots

Author(s):  
Dimitrios Pnevmatikos ◽  
Panagiota Christodoulou ◽  
Nikolaos Fachantidis
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Ela Liberman-Pincu ◽  
Amit David ◽  
Vardit Sarne-Fleischmann ◽  
Yael Edan ◽  
Tal Oron-Gilad

This study examines the effect of a COVID-19 Officer Robot (COR) on passersby compliance and the effects of its minor design manipulations on human–robot interaction. A robotic application was developed to ensure participants entering a public building comply with COVID restrictions of a green pass and wearing a face mask. The participants’ attitudes toward the robot and their perception of its authoritativeness were explored with video and questionnaires data. Thematic analysis was used to define unique behaviors related to human–COR interaction. Direct and extended interactions with minor design manipulation of the COR were evaluated in a public scenario setting. The results demonstrate that even minor design manipulations may influence users’ attitudes toward officer robots. The outcomes of this research can support manufacturers in rapidly adjusting their robots to new domains and tasks and guide future designs of authoritative socially assistive robots (SARs).


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 3033
Author(s):  
Soheil Keshmiri ◽  
Masahiro Shiomi ◽  
Hidenobu Sumioka ◽  
Takashi Minato ◽  
Hiroshi Ishiguro

Touch plays a crucial role in humans’ nonverbal social and affective communication. It then comes as no surprise to observe a considerable effort that has been placed on devising methodologies for automated touch classification. For instance, such an ability allows for the use of smart touch sensors in such real-life application domains as socially-assistive robots and embodied telecommunication. In fact, touch classification literature represents an undeniably progressive result. However, these results are limited in two important ways. First, they are mostly based on overall (i.e., average) accuracy of different classifiers. As a result, they fall short in providing an insight on performance of these approaches as per different types of touch. Second, they do not consider the same type of touch with different level of strength (e.g., gentle versus strong touch). This is certainly an important factor that deserves investigating since the intensity of a touch can utterly transform its meaning (e.g., from an affectionate gesture to a sign of punishment). The current study provides a preliminary investigation of these shortcomings by considering the accuracy of a number of classifiers for both, within- (i.e., same type of touch with differing strengths) and between-touch (i.e., different types of touch) classifications. Our results help verify the strength and shortcoming of different machine learning algorithms for touch classification. They also highlight some of the challenges whose solution concepts can pave the path for integration of touch sensors in such application domains as human–robot interaction (HRI).


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagoberto Cruz-Sandoval ◽  
Jesus Favela

Background: Socially assistive robots (SARs) have the potential to assist nonpharmacological interventions based on verbal communication to support the care of persons with dementia (PwDs). However, establishing verbal communication with a PwD is challenging. Thus, several authors have proposed strategies to converse with PwDs. While these strategies have proved effective at enhancing communication between PwDs and their caregivers, they have not been used or tested in the domain of human-robot interaction. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of incorporating conversational strategies proposed in the literature for caregivers, during PwD-robot interactions. Methods: We conducted a total of 23 group sessions based on music and conversation therapy, where a SAR interacted with 12 PwDs (mean = 80.25 years) diagnosed with mild to moderate-stage dementia. Using a single subject research approach, we designed an AB study to assess the effectiveness of the conversational strategies in the PwD-robot interaction. Our analysis focuses on the direct communication between the PwDs and the robot, and the perceived enjoyment of PwDs. Results: The number of utterances made from a PwD to the robot increased significantly when the conversational strategies were included in the robot. In addition, PwDs engaged in more sustained conversations. Additionally, PwDs enjoyed conversing with the robot Eva, as much as listening to music. These results indicate that the use of these conversational strategies is ­effective at increasing the interaction between PwD and a SAR. Conclusions: PwDs who participated in the study engaged and enjoyed the interaction with the SAR. The results provide evidence of the importance of incorporating appropriate conversational strategies in SARs that support interventions for the care and social stimulation of PwDs.


Author(s):  
Zhe Zhang ◽  
Goldie Nejat

A new novel breed of robots known as socially assistive robots is emerging. These robots are capable of providing assistance to individuals through social and cognitive interaction. The development of socially assistive robots for health care applications can provide measurable improvements in patient safety, quality of care, and operational efficiencies by playing an increasingly important role in patient care in the fast pace of crowded clinics, hospitals and nursing/veterans homes. However, there are a number of research issues that need to be addressed in order to design such robots. In this paper, we address one main challenge in the development of intelligent socially assistive robots: The robot’s ability to identify, understand and react to human intent and human affective states during assistive interaction. In particular, we present a unique non-contact and non-restricting sensory-based approach for identification and categorization of human body language in determining the affective state of a person during natural real-time human-robot interaction. This classification allows the robot to effectively determine its taskdriven behavior during assistive interaction. Preliminary experiments show the potential of integrating the proposed gesture recognition and classification technique into intelligent socially assistive robotic systems for autonomous interactions with people.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.10) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Kurniati Dian ◽  
Zayyadi Moh

The present study aimed at describing the dispositions of students around a coffee plantation in solving algebraic problems, especially those pertaining to fraction and comparison. Critical thinking disposition denotes the initial milestone to developing students’ critical thinking skills. The study investigated four components of critical thinking dispositions, comprising of truth-seeking, open-mindedness, self-confidence, and inquisitiveness. The subjects under investigation were 45 students at the second grade of a junior high school situated around Garahan coffee plantation in Jember district, East Java, Indonesia. The study covered several phases, inter alia, (1) describing problems on Algebra to the students, (2) recording any activities of the research subjects when doing tasks given, (3) analyzing the students’ answer sheets based on four components of critical thinking dispositions, (4) conducting method triangulation projected to confirm the preliminary findings on the students critical thinking dispositions, and (5) determining the students’ critical thinking dispositions based on the results of direct observation, video recording, and interview. The study gained several findings related to the students’ dispositions. First, the students’ tendency in truth-seeking was characterized by their analysis on the problems given on themes regarding coffee. This prevented them from making mistakes as they checked some information, be it known or unknown, as the bases for problem solving. However, not every student was aware of what was unknown about the problem or what was required to solve the problem. Second, their tendency in open-mindedness was evinced by the fact that they were assured of their answer as they related it to their experience in planting coffee. Nevertheless, some students tended to ask their parent when they had to determine the amount of diameter comparison between two logs to be connected. Third, they tended to be confident in solving problems given as they had experienced the activities described in the problem when they assisted their parents in planting coffee, but still some students had yet to be sure of their answers as they lacked the experience in planting coffee. Lastly, they tended to possess sound inquisitiveness concerning various issues pertinent to solving algebraic problems, especially themed on coffee. They acquired the inquisitiveness by observing the actual activity in their environment. Nonetheless, their inquisitiveness could not be generalized to algebraic lessons at school. 


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