Alle Publikationen
2020
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(2020): A social robot learning to facilitate an assistive group-based activity from non-expert caregivers. In: International Journal of Social Robotics, S. 1159-1176. DOI: 10.1007/s12369-020-00621-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-020-00621-4 Abstract: AbstractSocially assistive robots are a promising technology for supporting residential care facilities to provide stimulating recreational activities to residents in group settings. In order for caregivers to teach robots customized recreational activities for residents in their facilities, these robots need to be able to learn such activities from non-experts. In this work, we present a novel learning from demonstration system that allows socially assistive robots to learn customized group recreational activities from caregivers and facilitate these activities with users. We validate the usability and effectiveness of the proposed system by conducting a robot teaching study with caregivers and the Tangy robot at a local residential care facility. The caregivers found the learning system easy to use, experienced moderately low perceived workload, and were able to successfully teach Tangy the game of Bingo. Once Tangy learned the game, it autonomously facilitated Bingo games with elderly residents. The residents found the robot behaviors, personalized by the caregivers, both helpful and entertaining. Furthermore, they enjoyed playing Bingo with Tangy and would participate in future games. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: Usability & (Social) Robot(ics) 2019
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(2019): A Personalized and Platform-Independent Behavior Control System for Social Robots in Therapy: Development and Applications. In: IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems 11 (3), S. 334-346. DOI: 10.1109/TCDS.2018.2795343
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TCDS.2018.2795343 Abstract: Social robots have been proven beneficial in different types of healthcare interventions. An ongoing trend is to develop (semi-)autonomous socially assistive robotic systems in healthcare context to improve the level of autonomy and reduce human workload. This paper presents a behavior control system for social robots in therapies with a focus on personalization and platform-independence. This system architecture provides the robot an ability to behave as a personable character, which behaviors are adapted to user profiles and responses during the human-robot interaction. Robot behaviors are designed at abstract levels and can be transferred to different social robot platforms. We adopt the component-based software engineering approach to implement our proposed architecture to allow for the replaceability and reusability of the developed components. We introduce three different experimental scenarios to validate the usability of our system. Results show that the system is potentially applicable to different therapies and social robots. With the component-based approach, the system can serve as a basic framework for researchers to customize and expand the system for their targeted healthcare applications.
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(2019) : Equipping social robots with culturally-sensitive facial expressions of emotion using data-driven methods: 2019 14th IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face & Gesture Recognition (FG 2019): 2019 14th IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face & Gesture Recognition (FG 2019): Lille. France: IEEE, S. 1-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/FG.2019.8756570 Abstract: Social robots must be able to generate realistic and recognizable facial expressions to engage their human users. Many social robots are equipped with standardized facial expressions of emotion that are widely considered to be universally recognized across all cultures. However, mounting evidence shows that these facial expressions are not universally recognized - for example, they elicit significantly lower recognition accuracy in East Asian cultures than they do in Western cultures. Therefore, without culturally sensitive facial expressions, state-of-the-art social robots are restricted in their ability to engage a culturally diverse range of human users, which in turn limits their global marketability. To develop culturally sensitive facial expressions, novel data-driven methods are used to model the dynamic face movement patterns that convey basic emotions (e.g., happy, sad, anger) in a given culture using cultural perception. Here, we tested whether such dynamic facial expression models, derived in an East Asian culture and transferred to a popular social robot, improved the social signalling generation capabilities of the social robot with East Asian participants. Results showed that, compared to the social robot's existing set of facial `universal' expressions, the culturally-sensitive facial expression models are recognized with generally higher accuracy and judged as more human-like by East Asian participants. We also detail the specific dynamic face movements (Action Units) that are associated with high recognition accuracy and judgments of human-likeness, including those that further boost performance. Our results therefore demonstrate the utility of using data-driven methods that employ human cultural perception to derive culturally-sensitive facial expressions that improve the social face signal generation capabilities of social robots. We anticipate that these methods will continue to inform the design of social robots and broaden their usability and global marketability.
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(2019) : Usability Testing and Requirements Analysis of Service Robot: 2019 11th International Conference on Intelligent Human-Machine Systems and Cybernetics (IHMSC): 2019 11th International Conference on Intelligent Human-Machine Systems and Cybernetics (IHMSC): Hangzhou, China: IEEE, S. 225-228
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IHMSC.2019.00059 Abstract: The user experience of human-robot interaction (HRI) has become more and more important, and the HRI evaluation of service robots has become an indispensable research topic. This paper proposes that besides the commonly used usability testing, emotional factors should be considered. The emotional response of users when using robot products should be measured. The paper also describes that, based on the results of usability testing and emotion measurement, the Kano model can be referred to analyze the requirements to determine the requirements which users concern most, which attract users, and which users think the product must have. Finally, we conduct a usability testing and requirements analysis of a test service robot Alpha 2 as an example.
2018
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(2018): Experiences of a motivational interview delivered by a robot: Qualitative study. In: Journal of Medical Internet Research 20 (5). Online verfügbar unter http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2018-57127-001&site=ehost-live
Abstract: Background: Motivational interviewing is an effective intervention for supporting behavior change but traditionally depends on face-to-face dialogue with a human counselor. This study addressed a key challenge for the goal of developing social robotic motivational interviewers: creating an interview protocol, within the constraints of current artificial intelligence, which participants will find engaging and helpful. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore participants’ qualitative experiences of a motivational interview delivered by a social robot, including their evaluation of usability of the robot during the interaction and its impact on their motivation. Methods: NAO robots are humanoid, child-sized social robots. We programmed a NAO robot with Choregraphe software to deliver a scripted motivational interview focused on increasing physical activity. The interview was designed to be comprehensible even without an empathetic response from the robot. Robot breathing and face-tracking functions were used to give an impression of attentiveness. A total of 20 participants took part in the robot-delivered motivational interview and evaluated it after 1 week by responding to a series of written open-ended questions. Each participant was left alone to speak aloud with the robot, advancing through a series of questions by tapping the robot’s head sensor. Evaluations were content-analyzed utilizing Boyatzis’ steps: (1) sampling and design, (2) developing themes and codes, and (3) validating and applying the codes. Results: Themes focused on interaction with the robot, motivation, change in physical activity, and overall evaluation of the intervention. Participants found the instructions clear and the navigation easy to use. Most enjoyed the interaction but also found it was restricted by the lack of individualized response from the robot. Many positively appraised the nonjudgmental aspect of the interview and how it gave space to articulate their motivation for change. Some participants felt that the intervention increased their physical activity levels. Conclusions: Social robots can achieve a fundamental objective of motivational interviewing, encouraging participants to articulate their goals and dilemmas aloud. Because they are perceived as nonjudgmental, robots may have advantages over more humanoid avatars for delivering virtual support for behavioral change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: Usability & (Social) Robot(ics), Usability & Robot -
(2018) : Combining Social Robotics and Music as a Non-Medical Treatment for People with Dementia: 2018 27th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN): Nanjing, China: IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, S. 465-467
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2018.8525813 Abstract: Today, around 260.000 people in the Netherlands are diagnosed with dementia. This paper provides a first design and evaluation of a social robot that provides the music which supports positive self-disclosures of personal memories. Based on the situated cognitive engineering methodology, we developed software for the Pepper robot which can let people with dementia (PwD) listen to their favorite music and we tested this robot in a care center with seven persons with dementia. The test focused on robot's usability and music's effect on the person listening. Three general claims were tested: The robot (1) is easy to use by the PwD, relatives and caregivers, (2) brings PwD in a more positive emotional state, and (3) stimulates PwD to recall memories and talk about their past. Our results show that the “music robot” for PwD often elicits very strong positive responses and that our observations are in line with the three claims. However, using a very human-like robot like Pepper does pose certain challenges as the PwD expect it to truly understand every word they say, which is not yet the case.
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(2018): The multi-modal interface of Robot-Era multi-robot services tailored for the elderly. In: Intelligent Service Robotics 11 (1), S. 109-126. DOI: 10.1007/s11370-017-0237-6
DOI: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2018-02230-008&site=ehost-live Abstract: Socially assistive robotic platforms are now a realistic option for the long-term care of ageing populations. Elderly users may benefit from many services provided by robots operating in different environments, such as providing assistance inside apartments, serving in shared facilities of buildings or guiding people outdoors. In this paper, we present the experience gained within the EU FP7 ROBOT-ERA project towards the objective of implementing easy-to-use and acceptable service robotic system for the elderly. In particular, we detail the user-centred design and the experimental evaluation in realistic environments of a web-based multi-modal user interface tailored for elderly users of near future multi-robot services. Experimental results demonstrate positive evaluation of usability and willingness to use by elderly users, especially those less experienced with technological devices who could benefit more from the adoption of robotic services. Further analyses showed how multi-modal modes of interaction support more flexible and natural elderly–robot interaction, make clear the benefits for the users and, therefore, increase its acceptability. Finally, we provide insights and lessons learned from the extensive experimentation, which, to the best of our knowledge, is one of the largest experimentation of a multi-robot multi-service system so far. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2018) : Towards playful learning and computational thinking — Developing the educational robot BRICKO: 2018 IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC): 2018 IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC): Princeton, United States: IEEE, S. 37-44
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISECon.2018.8340502 Abstract: Educational Robotics has proven a feasible way of supporting and exemplifying Computational Thinking. With this paper, we describe the user-centered iterative and incremental development of a new educational robotic system, BRICKO, to support tangible, social and playful interaction while educating children in 1 st -3 rd grade in Computational Thinking. We develop the system through seven main iterations including a total of 108 participant pupils and their teachers. The methodology is a mixture of observation and interviews using Wizard of OZ testing with the early pilot prototypes as well as usability and user experience testing with the following incrementally improved digital prototypes. Our results for development and evaluation are presented for each iteration leading onto the next and describes the evolution of both the BRICKO driving robot as well as the BRICKO programming-board and its different categories of command-bricks. We discuss the methodologies used for assuring a playful and social educational robotic system and conclude that we achieved a useful prototype for supporting education in Computational Thinking.
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(2018): Friendship with a robot: Children’s perception of similarity between a robot’s physical and virtual embodiment that supports diabetes self-management. In: Patient Education and Counseling 101 (7), S. 1248-1255. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.02.008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2018.02.008 Abstract: Objective: The PAL project develops a conversational agent with a physical (robot) and virtual (avatar) embodiment to support diabetes self-management of children ubiquitously. This paper assesses 1) the effect of perceived similarity between robot and avatar on children's friendship towards the avatar, and 2) the effect of this friendship on usability of a self-management application containing the avatar (a) and children’s motivation to play with it (b). Methods: During a four-day diabetes camp in the Netherlands, 21 children participated in interactions with both agent embodiments. Questionnaires measured perceived similarity, friendship, motivation to play with the app and its usability. Results: Children felt stronger friendship towards the physical robot than towards the avatar. The more children perceived the robot and its avatar as the same agency, the stronger their friendship with the avatar was. The stronger their friendship with the avatar, the more they were motivated to play with the app and the higher the app scored on usability. Conclusion: The combination of physical and virtual embodiments seems to provide a unique opportunity for building ubiquitous long-term child-agent friendships. Practice implications: an avatar complementing a physical robot in health care could increase children’s motivation and adherence to use self-management support systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: Usability & (Social) Robot(ics), Usability & Robot 2017
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(2017) : Feasibility of using sphero in rehabilitation of children with autism in social and communication skills: 2017 26th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN): Lisbon, Portugal: IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, S. 989-994
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICORR.2017.8009378 Abstract: The majority of children with autism face difficulties in social interaction and communication skills. Consequently, in this paper we present a pilot study in which we explored the usability of Sphero TM as a rehabilitation tool for developing social and communication skills. We designed an interactive scenario where children with autism should verbally control the robot and utter voice commands. Our observations show that the children were very interested to interact with the robot in the given framework. They showed surprising behaviors that are promising evidences of effectiveness of using Sphero in rehabilitation of social and communication deficits.
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(2017) : Design of the companion robot interaction for supporting major tasks of the elderly: 2017 14th International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence (URAI): 2017 14th International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence (URAI): Jeju, Korea: IEEE, S. 655-659
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/URAI.2017.7992695 Abstract: This research aims to develop the companion robot experience design optimized for supporting living tasks of the elderly in Korea. First, Elder users' main needs were categorized into 4 groups based on ethnographic research. Second, the functional elements and physical actuators of robot were mapped to user needs in function-needs deploy matrix. The final UX design of companion robot was derived as a verbal non-touch multi modal interface with emotional facial expression. Usability test of the interface was conducted targeting 8 elderly' users and users' response and acceptance was positive.
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(2017) : Speaking robots: The challenges of acceptance by the ageing society: 2017 26th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN): Lisbon, Portugal: IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, S. 1285-1290
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2017.8172470 Abstract: The ability of robots to dialogue with humans appears as one critical Human-Machine Interaction feature when it comes to transferring robots into society. This ability gains additional importance when it comes to elderly people, since they find it more comfortable and natural to interact using voice, due to possible natural physical impairments that hinder the usage of some of the interaction modalities (e.g. touch screens). Challenges like recognition accuracy, distant speech, the idiosyncrasies of elderly voices (fading, muffled pronunciation, etc.), the effects of surrounding environment noise or the expressiveness of the robot when speaking, become highly relevant in the acceptance and usability of service robots by the ageing population. In this paper, we present the results, challenges and solutions developed during a nine-month iterative evaluation process that took place within the GrowMeUp project, with focus on speech recognition and synthesis. The paper concludes with an identification of open scientific and technological problems, based on our interpretation of results, which we identify as critical for the acceptance and usability of robots by an ageing society.
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(2017): Robot ZORA in rehabilitation and special education for children with severe physical disabilities: A pilot study. In: International Journal of Rehabilitation Research 40 (4), S. 353-359. DOI: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000248
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MRR.0000000000000248 Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the potential of ZORA robot-based interventions in rehabilitation and special education for children with severe physical disabilities. A two-centre explorative pilot study was carried out over a 2.5-month period involving children with severe physical disabilities with a developmental age ranging from 2 to 8 years. Children participated in six sessions with the ZORA robot in individual or in group sessions. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data on aspects of feasibility, usability, barriers and facilitators for the child as well as for the therapist and to obtain an indication of the effects on playfulness and the achievement of goals. In total, 17 children and seven professionals participated in the study. The results of this study show a positive contribution of ZORA in achieving therapy and educational goals. Moreover, sessions with ZORA were indicated as playful. Three main domains were indicated to be the most promising for the application of ZORA: movement skills, communication skills and cognitive skills. Furthermore, ZORA can contribute towards eliciting motivation, concentration, taking initiative and improving attention span of the children. On the basis of the results of the study, it can be concluded that ZORA has potential in therapy and education for children with severe physical disabilities. More research is needed to gain insight into how ZORA can be applied best in rehabilitation and special education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
2016
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(2016) : Increasing psychological well-being through human-robot interaction: 2016 11th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI): Christchurch, New Zealand: IEEE Press, S. 617-618
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/HRI.2016.7451884 Abstract: Intelligent tutoring systems, electronic fitness bands, and assistive robots all contribute toward increasing the wellness of humans by providing different forms of support. As a class of machines focused on increasing the physical and psychological well-being of users emerges, new design considerations and questions arise. We are exploring the potential of prosocial machines via social robotic systems focused on enhancing a user's psychological well-being through positive interventions. This article briefly summarizes our initial approach to understanding prosocial machines via a positive psychology based intervention focused on comparing the ability of different systems to induce measurable increases in a human's level of hopefulness.
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(2016) : Interactive Q-learning for social robots that learn from the Wizard: A pilot study: 2016 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC): 2016 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC): Budapest, Hungary: IEEE, S. 003683-003687
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/SMC.2016.7844806 Abstract: This paper discusses interactive Q-learning as a method for learning appropriate robot behavior from the human teleoperator in order to increase the robot's autonomy in various human-robot interaction scenarios. We demonstrate the usability of our approach on a simulation of a simple task. The results show the feasibility of this method in different kinds of interactions. As a conclusion, we discuss the results and the next steps of the research.
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(2016): Social service robots to support independent living: Experiences from a field trial. In: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie 49 (4), S. 282-287. DOI: 10.1007/s00391-016-1067-4
DOI: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2016-29012-003&site=ehost-live Abstract: Background: Assistive robots could be a future means to support independent living for seniors. Objective: This article provides insights into the latest developments in social service robots (SSR) based on the recently finished HOBBIT project. The idea of the HOBBIT project was to develop a low-cost SSR which is able to reduce the risk of falling, to detect falls and handle emergencies in private homes. The main objective of the project was to raise the technology to a level that allows the robot to be fully autonomously deployed in the private homes of older users and to evaluate technology market readiness, utility, usability and affordability under real-world conditions. Method: During the initial phase of the project, a first prototype (PT1) was developed. The results of laboratory tests with PT1 were used for the development of a second prototype (PT2), which was finally tested in seven households of senior adults (mean age 79 years) for 3 weeks each, i.e. in total more than 5 months. Results: The results showed that PT2 is intuitive to handle and that the functions offered meet the needs of older users; however, the robot was considered more as a toy than a supportive device for independent living. Furthermore, despite an emergency function of the robot, perceived security did not increase. Conclusion: Reasons for this might be a lack of technological robustness and slow performance of the prototype and also the good health conditions of the users; however, users believed that a market-ready version of the robot would be vital for supporting people who are more fragile and more socially isolated. Thus, SSRs have the potential to support independent living of older people although the technology has to be considerably improved to reach market readiness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2016) : Results of a real world trial with a mobile social service robot for older adults: 2016 11th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI): Christchurch, New Zealand: IEEE Press, S. 497-498
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/HRI.2016.7451824 Abstract: Robots are an increasingly discussed solution for assistance of seniors. Importance of testing natural interaction therefore becomes crucial. This paper presents first results of a study with an autonomous mobile social service robot prototype that was deployed in 18 private households of senior adults aged 75 years and older for a total of 371 days. Findings show that utility met the users' expectations. However, the robot was rather seen as a toy instead of being supportive for independent living. Furthermore, despite of an emergency function of the robot, perceived safety did not increase. Reasons for this might be the good health conditions of our users, a lack of technological robustness and slow performance of the prototype. However, users believed that a market ready version of the robot would be vital for supporting people who are more fragile and more socially isolated.
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(2016): “Teach Me–Show Me”—End-User Personalization of a Smart Home and Companion Robot. In: IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems 46 (1), S. 27-40. DOI: 10.1109/THMS.2015.2445105
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/THMS.2015.2445105 Abstract: Care issues and costs associated with an increasing elderly population are becoming a major concern for many countries. The use of assistive robots in “smart-home” environments has been suggested as a possible partial solution to these concerns. A challenge is the personalization of the robot to meet the changing needs of the elderly person over time. One approach is to allow the elderly person, or their carers or relatives, to make the robot learn activities in the smart home and teach it to carry out behaviors in response to these activities. The overriding premise being that such teaching is both intuitive and “nontechnical.” To evaluate these issues, a commercially available autonomous robot has been deployed in a fully sensorized but otherwise ordinary suburban house. We describe the design approach to the teaching, learning, robot, and smart home systems as an integrated unit and present results from an evaluation of the teaching component with 20 participants and a preliminary evaluation of the learning component with three participants in a human-robot interaction experiment. Participants reported findings using a system usability scale and ad-hoc Likert questionnaires. Results indicated that participants thought that this approach to robot personalization was easy to use, useful, and that they would be capable of using it in real-life situations both for themselves and for others.
2015
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(2015): Robotic companions for older people: A case study in the wild. In: Annual Review of CyberTherapy and Telemedicine 13, S. 147-152. Online verfügbar unter http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2016-13187-026&site=ehost-live
Abstract: Older people tend to have difficulties using unknown technical devices and are less willing to accept technical shortcomings. Therefore, a robot that is supposed to support older people in managing daily life has to adapt to the users' needs and capabilities that are very heterogeneous within the target group. The aim of the presented case study was to provide in-depth insights on individual usage patterns and acceptance of a mobile service robot in real live environments (i.e. in the users' homes). Results from three cases (users aged 67, 78 and 85 living in their own apartments) are reported. Findings on usability and user experience illustrate that the robot has considerable potential to be accepted to support daily living at home. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
2014
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(2014): Development of a socially believable multi-robot solution from town to home. In: Cognitive Computation 6 (4), S. 954-967. DOI: 10.1007/s12559-014-9290-z
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-014-9290-z Abstract: Technological advances in the robotic and ICT fields represent an effective solution to address specific societal problems to support ageing and independent life. One of the key factors for these technologies is that they have to be socially acceptable and believable to the end-users. This paper aimed to present some technological aspects that have been faced to develop the Robot-Era system, a multi-robotic system that is able to act in a socially believable way in the environments daily inhabited by humans, such as urban areas, buildings and homes. In particular, this paper focuses on two services—shopping delivery and garbage collection—showing preliminary results on experiments conducted with 35 elderly people. The analysis adopts an end-user-oriented perspective, considering some of the main attributes of acceptability: usability, attitude, anxiety, trust and quality of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
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(2014) : Tools for programming human robot interaction: 2014 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC): 2014 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC): Melbourne, Australia: IEEE, S. 183-184
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/VLHCC.2014.6883046 Abstract: Whilst robots are increasingly being used in scenarios that involve human-robot interaction, it is still difficult to program them to interact with humans. This is because current programming tools either require programmers to work at low abstraction levels or they lack features needed to implement particular aspects of human-robot interaction. Our goal is to create an API that is both capable of programming a wide range of human-robot interaction scenarios and is easy to use by the various users of human-robot interaction programming tools. We have taken a first step toward this API by developing an exemplar, high level API for programming social interaction and evaluating it with the Cognitive Dimensions framework. We plan to explore other aspects of human-robot interaction, including navigation and manipulation and exploring how they should be integrated with our existing primitives for programming social interaction.
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(2014) : A human-centric API for programming socially interactive robots: 2014 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC): 2014 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC): Melbourne, Australia: IEEE, S. 121-128
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/VLHCC.2014.6883033 Abstract: Whilst robots are increasingly being deployed as social agents, it is still difficult to program them to interact socially. This is because current programming tools either require programmers to work at a low level or lack features needed to create certain aspects of social interaction. High level, domain specific tools with features designed specifically to meet the requirements of social interaction have the potential to ease the creation of social applications. We present a domain specific application programming interface (API) that is designed to meet the requirements of social interaction. The Cognitive Dimensions Framework was used as a design tool during the design process and the API was validated by implementing an exemplar application. The evaluation of the API showed that programmers with no robotics knowledge were positively impressed by the notation and that its organization, domain specific interfaces and object oriented nature positively affected several Cognitive Dimensions.
2013
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(2013) : Designing a socially assistive companion robotic wheel chair: RoboChair: 2013 6th IEEE Conference on Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics (RAM): 2013 6th IEEE Conference on Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics (RAM): Manila, Philippines: IEEE, S. 231-236
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/RAM.2013.6758589 Abstract: Developing socially assistive robots is an emerging interdisciplinary research area, which requires collaboration between a wide range of disciplines. Among recent research projects, there have been attempts to develop assistive robotic solutions to solve various health and social issues. In most current research attempts to design socially assistive robots, the focus is on designing new robotic agents that can interact with people by various means. Since people do not have much experience with robots, usually extensive field trials are conducted in order to assess the usability of these robots. However, determining the usability of these robotic agents is a difficult task, since the results of field trials are not always conclusive. In this paper, an attempt to overcome the difficulty of evaluating usability of assistive robots is presented. This paper presents the design of the first version of a companion robot called RoboChair. RoboChair is in the form of a wheel chair. But, functionally it is a socially assistive companion robot. The proposed robotic chair is a mobile robot that can carry a person. It is equipped with several measuring devices for taking clinical measurements mentioned above. In addition to that, it is equipped with several sensors for obstacle avoidance, map building, localization, detecting humans etc. It is also equipped with motor controllers and other actuators for motion control. The robot chair is capable of engaging users with interactive dialogs through a touch screen and by using human-robot interaction techniques. It has a scalable modular architecture so that adding new hardware and software modules is straightforward. The software framework is based on Robot Operating System (ROS) open source robotic middleware. RoboChair is controlled by a distributed controller that spans multiple hardware devices and multiple operating systems.
2012
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(2012) : Rethinking the human-agent relationship: Which social cues do interactive agents really need to have? In: Hingston, Philip: Believable bots: Can computers play like people?: New York, NY: Springer-Verlag Publishing, S. 1-28. Online verfügbar unter http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2013-00699-001&site=ehost-live
Abstract: This chapter discusses the potential meaning of the term social in relation to human-agent interaction. Based on the sociological theory of object-centred sociality, four aspects of sociality, namely forms of grouping, attachment, reciprocity, and reflexivity are presented and transferred to the field of human-humanoid interaction studies. Six case studies with three different types of humanoid robots are presented, in which the participants had to answer a questionnaire involving several items on these four aspects. The case studies are followed by a section on lessons learned for human-agent interaction. In this section, a 'social agent matrix' for categorizing human-agent interaction in terms of their main sociality aspect is introduced. A reflection on this matrix and the future (social) human-agent relationship closes this chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
2011
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(2011): Looking forward to a 'robotic society'?: Notions of future human-robot relationships. In: International Journal of Social Robotics 3 (2), S. 111-123. DOI: 10.1007/s12369-010-0076-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-010-0076-5 Abstract: This article reports on an explorative investigation comparing the notions of future human-robot relationships of the participants of a user study who interacted with a humanoid robot for the first time on the one hand, and those of experts from the industry on the other hand. By means of in-depth interviews, data on the following topics was gathered from 52 user study participants and six experts: (1) quality of life, health, and security, (2) working conditions and employment, (3) education, (4) cultural context. A content analysis of the interview material derived five key aspects of the future 'robotic society': (1) replacement, (2) competition, (3) safety and supervision, (4) increasing productivity, (5) cost and benefit assessment. Furthermore, a description of what makes a robot different from a machine or a human could be obtained. Additionally, the interviews were supplemented by two standardized questionnaires to measure the participants’ general attitude and acceptance towards robots. The article highlights the difference regarding viewpoints and understandings of the future human-robot relationships between novice users and experts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)