Sociological Study of Multiple Ecologies in Collaborative Space

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This research project aims to analyze how individuals interact in their not only immediate but remote work environments through an analytical framework of sociology, ie. ethnomethodology. Then, based on the sociological analysis, we intend to develop and evaluate information and robotic systems that can facilitate human interactions in various work environments through interdisciplinary frameworks of sociology and engineering.The results that we have generated in this project are as follows. First, we conducted a series of basic research on human interaction-at elderly day care centers, museums, and a child day care center-applicable to the future development of an autonomous and remote-controlled robotic system that could be employed in various service contexts. By examining naturally occurring interactions there, we revealed that request behaviors were significantly associated with individuals' "face." The findings are publicized in distinguished scholarly journals not just in Japan, but around the world. Also, we carried out a set of experimental research to investigate systems for supporting remote instruction via a mobile phone and a mobile robot, and published a book "Mobile Communication." Finally, based on these sociological analyses, we attempted to develop information and robotic systems with the unique collaboration of scholars in sociology and those in engineering, and presented our achievements in some international conferences.