Steven Osman

Task Structure and User Attributes as Elements of Human-Robot Interaction Design

Recent developments in humanoid robotics have made possible technologically advanced robots and a vision for their everyday use as assistants in the home and workplace. Nonetheless, little is known about how we should design interactions with humanoid robots. In this paper, we argue that adaptation for user attributes (in particular gender) and task structure (in particular a competitive vs. a cooperative structure) are key design elements. We experimentally demonstrate how these two elements affect the users social perceptions of ASIMO after playing an interactive video game with him

Perceptions of ASIMO: an exploration on co-operation and competition with humans and humanoid robots

Recent developments in humanoid robotics have made possible a vision of robots in everyday use in the home and workplace. However, little is known about how we should design social interactions with humanoid robots. We explored how co-operation versus competition in a game shaped peoples perceptions of ASIMO. We found that in the co-operative interaction, people found the robot more sociable and more intellectual than in the competitive interaction while people felt more positive and were more involved in the task in the competitive condition than in the co-operative condition. Our poster presents these findings with the supporting theoretical background.