EAGER: Cultural models in social robotics - Comparative studies with users in the US and Japan

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This project performs comparative research in the United States and Japan on cultural models of social behavior and technology that influence how users perceive, make sense of, and interact with social robots. Social robots are designed to engage and communicate with people using socially appropriate behaviors, cues, norms, and roles. We (1) develop a comparative framework to study how users of social robots understand, apply, and react to cultural models of sociality and technology, as expressed in the material and discursive framing of robots, in the US and Japan, and (2) establish the foundation for long-term research collaboration on cross-cultural studies of robotics between Dr. Selma Sabanovic at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB), Dr. Takanori Shibata at the National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsukuba, and Dr. Kazuyoshi Wada at Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU) in Japan.The project produces guidelines for best practices for using social robots in the US and Japan; this is particularly timely for Paro, which is commercially available in both countries. We also strengthen existing and build new collaborations with individuals and institutions in Japan. The project impacts education through the exchange of students and month-long internships and provides educational experiences for a broader audience, including other students, users, and relevant stakeholders through open houses and presentations by participating institutions.