scholarly journals Gentle Versus Strong Touch Classification: Preliminary Results, Challenges, and Potentials

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 3033
Author(s):  
Soheil Keshmiri ◽  
Masahiro Shiomi ◽  
Hidenobu Sumioka ◽  
Takashi Minato ◽  
Hiroshi Ishiguro
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Affective Communication ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots ◽  
Average Accuracy ◽  
Different Types

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).

scholarly journals Comply with Me: Using Design Manipulations to Affect Human–Robot Interaction in a COVID-19 Officer Robot Use Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Ela Liberman-Pincu ◽  
Amit David ◽  
Vardit Sarne-Fleischmann ◽  
Yael Edan ◽  
Tal Oron-Gilad
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Public Building ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots ◽  
Robotic Application

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).

Incorporating Conversational Strategies in a Social Robot to Interact with People with Dementia

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagoberto Cruz-Sandoval ◽  
Jesus Favela
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Single Subject Research ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Stimulation Of

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.

Human Affective State Recognition and Classification During Human-Robot Interaction Scenarios

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Zhang ◽  
Goldie Nejat
Keyword(s):  
Affective State ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Fast Pace ◽  
Health Care Applications

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.

scholarly journals Hybrid Pneumatic-Hydraulic Actuator with Adaptable Stiffness

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 179-183
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Muscle Performance ◽  
Hydraulic Actuator ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Mckibben Muscle ◽  
Parallel Configuration ◽  
Hybrid Actuator

This work presents a method to control the stiffness of a hybrid actuator. The resulting stiffness is required to meet the conditions of real life applications, such as human prosthetics, human-robot interaction, and delicate robot interaction. The hybrid actuator is basically a pneumatic-hydraulic muscle, which can operate simultaneously in both pneumatic and hydraulic modes. The main challenge in this work is to manage the switching between pneumatic and hydraulic modes. In pneumatic mode when a load is applied to the actuator, air in the tank is allowed to compress resulting in muscle extension. While in hydraulic mode, the fluid is pressurized and the resultant system stiffness is higher. In both cases, the McKibben muscle is full with hydraulic fluid. It has been shown that the performance of the actuator is mostly the same in terms of response and bandwidth in both modes of operation. The use of different types of controllers to improve the system performance is investigated. It is found that the parallel configuration combined with PID controller is the best solution for achieving the required muscle performance.

scholarly journals Should my robot know what's best for me? Human–robot interaction between user experience and ethical design

AI & Society ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Fronemann ◽  
Kathrin Pollmann ◽  
Wulf Loh
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Interaction Design ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Original Design ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Ethical Design

AbstractTo integrate social robots in real-life contexts, it is crucial that they are accepted by the users. Acceptance is not only related to the functionality of the robot but also strongly depends on how the user experiences the interaction. Established design principles from usability and user experience research can be applied to the realm of human–robot interaction, to design robot behavior for the comfort and well-being of the user. Focusing the design on these aspects alone, however, comes with certain ethical challenges, especially regarding the user’s privacy and autonomy. Based on an example scenario of human–robot interaction in elder care, this paper discusses how established design principles can be used in social robotic design. It then juxtaposes these with ethical considerations such as privacy and user autonomy. Combining user experience and ethical perspectives, we propose adjustments to the original design principles and canvass our own design recommendations for a positive and ethically acceptable social human–robot interaction design. In doing so, we show that positive user experience and ethical design may be sometimes at odds, but can be reconciled in many cases, if designers are willing to adjust and amend time-tested design principles.

scholarly journals Towards a communication model for a sociable companion robot

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
The Public ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Robot Evaluation ◽  
Socially Assistive Robot

Anxiety has a lifetime prevalence of 31% of Canadians (Katzman et al. 2014). In Canada, psychological services are only covered by provincial health insurance if the psychologist is employed in the public sector; this means long wait times in the public system or expensive private coverage (Canadian Psychological Association). Currently, social robots and Socially Assistive Robots (SAR) are used in the treatment of elderly individuals in nursing homes, as well as children with autism (Feil-Seifer & Matarić, 2011; Tapus et al., 2012). The following MRP is the first step in a long-term project that will contend with the issues faced by individuals with anxiety using a combined communications, social robotics, and mental health approach to develop an anxiety specific socially assistive robot companion. The focus of this MRP is the development of a communication model that includes three core aspects of a social robot companion: Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), anxiety disorders, and technical design. The model I am developing will consist of a series of suggestions for the robot that could be implemented in a long-term study. The model will include suggestions towards the design, communication means, and technical requirements, as well as a model for evaluating the robot from a Human-Robot- Interaction perspective. This will be done through an evaluation of three robots, Sphero’s BB-8 App Enabled Droid, Aldebaran’s Nao, and the Spin Master Zoomer robot. Evaluation measures include modified versions of Shneiderman’s (1992) evaluation of human-factors goals, Feil-Seifer et al.’s (2007) SAR evaluative questions, prompts for the description of both the communication methods and the physical characteristics, and a record of the emotional response of the user when interacting with the robot.

scholarly journals Towards a communication model for a sociable companion robot

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
The Public ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Robot Evaluation ◽  
Socially Assistive Robot

Anxiety has a lifetime prevalence of 31% of Canadians (Katzman et al. 2014). In Canada, psychological services are only covered by provincial health insurance if the psychologist is employed in the public sector; this means long wait times in the public system or expensive private coverage (Canadian Psychological Association). Currently, social robots and Socially Assistive Robots (SAR) are used in the treatment of elderly individuals in nursing homes, as well as children with autism (Feil-Seifer & Matarić, 2011; Tapus et al., 2012). The following MRP is the first step in a long-term project that will contend with the issues faced by individuals with anxiety using a combined communications, social robotics, and mental health approach to develop an anxiety specific socially assistive robot companion. The focus of this MRP is the development of a communication model that includes three core aspects of a social robot companion: Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), anxiety disorders, and technical design. The model I am developing will consist of a series of suggestions for the robot that could be implemented in a long-term study. The model will include suggestions towards the design, communication means, and technical requirements, as well as a model for evaluating the robot from a Human-Robot- Interaction perspective. This will be done through an evaluation of three robots, Sphero’s BB-8 App Enabled Droid, Aldebaran’s Nao, and the Spin Master Zoomer robot. Evaluation measures include modified versions of Shneiderman’s (1992) evaluation of human-factors goals, Feil-Seifer et al.’s (2007) SAR evaluative questions, prompts for the description of both the communication methods and the physical characteristics, and a record of the emotional response of the user when interacting with the robot.

scholarly journals The Importance of Realism, Character, and Genre: How Theatre Can Support the Creation of Likeable Sociable Robots

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise LePage
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Romantic Comedy ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Narrative Studies ◽  
Effective Performance ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
And Robotics

AbstractStage plays, theories of theatre, narrative studies, and robotics research can serve to identify, explore, and interrogate theatrical elements that support the effective performance of sociable humanoid robots. Theatre, including its parts of performance, aesthetics, character, and genre, can also reveal features of human–robot interaction key to creating humanoid robots that are likeable rather than uncanny. In particular, this can be achieved by relating Mori's (1970/2012) concept of total appearance to realism. Realism is broader and more subtle in its workings than is generally recognised in its operationalization in studies that focus solely on appearance. For example, it is complicated by genre. A realistic character cast in a detective drama will convey different qualities and expectations than the same character in a dystopian drama or romantic comedy. The implications of realism and genre carry over into real life. As stage performances and robotics studies reveal, likeability depends on creating aesthetically coherent representations of character, where all the parts coalesce to produce a socially identifiable figure demonstrating predictable behaviour.

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