Physicality in Human-Robot Interaction: Form, Movement, Proxemics and Touch

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Robots are expected to become more common in the near future, providing services and assisting us in our homes and in everyday tasks. The fundamental human-robot interaction (HRI) problem is that interaction with robots will be effective only if they are socially acceptable to people: function alone is not enough. Consequently my long term research goal is to design, implement and evaluate socially acceptable robotic interfaces based on deep understanding of people's relationships with robots. To achieve this, my immediate research focus is exploring how robots inherently differ from other computers, particularly studying: (i) their physicality and (ii) their dynamic spatial relationships with people (or 'proxemics', in Sociology terms). My research program delivers three groups of outcomes, relating to: 1. prototypes, 2. tools and 3. models: (1) HRI physicality testbed prototypes. Development of HRI prototypes, each enabling evaluation of specific robotic physical attributes, such as robots' form and movement, proxemics behaviour and direct touch between robots and people. These interactive prototypes will range from humanoids to robotic animals and flying drones, designed to be evaluated with co-located users. (2) HRI proxemics toolkits and algorithms. Development and integration of advanced robotic sensing techniques and algorithms, as well as HRI toolkits geared at prototyping and analyzing proxemics and physicality-related attributes of robotic interfaces. And, (3) HRI physicality and proxemics models. Theory development of proxemics models applied to robotic interfaces, and HRI design rationale and heuristics that will inform the design of future robotic interfaces. Contributions include models offering a deeper understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of physicality in HRI, which will enable the design of more socially acceptable human-robot interfaces, a set of new robotic interface prototypes illustrating these aspects, and computer science algorithms and tools for rapidly prototyping such systems. My research program provides students with skills required for developing advanced computer technologies and for designing, implementing and evaluating novel user interfaces.