CAREER: Interacting with Autonomy

在过去的三年里，PI对为城市搜索和救援(USAR)和机器人轮椅设计的机器人系统中的人-机器人交互(HRI)进行了研究。作为这些研究的结果，她观察到了当前设计产生的几个问题：用户没有有效地切换模式；用户在长时间自主后无法进行干预；用户缺乏情境意识；信息呈现效率低下；以及当机器人以意想不到的方式行动时，旁观者感到困惑。基于这些问题，PI确定了与自主系统交互的四个挑战领域：混合用户和机器人输入以创建滑动比例自主；自动更改自主级别；总结机器人状态和过去的行动；以及与旁观者交互。在这个项目的头三年里，PI将设计系统并进行实验，努力找到这些挑战领域的答案。她将在两个机器人应用中检验她的理论：城市搜索和救援，需要操作员远程定位；以及机器人轮椅，操作员坐在机器人上，旁观者可能会受到系统操作的影响。在该项目的最后两年，PI将在第三个应用程序中验证她的理论：一个为老年人或残疾人服务的机器人助手。在整个赠款期间，研究将被纳入课程(本科生和研究生)以及初中和高中的推广活动。PI还将开发一门新课程--与自主系统交互，这门课程将涉及人机交互(HCI)和人-机器人交互(HRI)。该项目的智力优势包括：制定和测试确定如何适当地设置和切换机器人系统的自主性水平的理论；创建混合自主性水平的方法以创建新的自主性水平；发展对与机器人系统交互的更好的理解；通过开发新的机器人系统来验证所有假设。更广泛的影响：本研究中要探索的所有机器人应用领域都有可能影响社会。与自主性相互作用的理论也将适用于非机器人系统，包括生命维持等空间系统。将本科生纳入研究将鼓励他们继续研究生学习，推广计划将向初中生介绍机器人技术。

Over the past three years, the PI has conducted studies of human-robot interaction (HRI) in robot systems designed for urban search and rescue (USAR) and robotic wheelchairs. As a consequence of these studies, she has observed several problems arising from current designs: users do not switch modes effectively; users are unable to intervene after a long period of autonomy; users have a lack of situation awareness; information is presented ineffectively; and bystanders are confused when the robot acts in an unexpected fashion. Based upon these issues, the PI has identified four challenge areas for interacting with autonomous systems: blending user and robot inputs to create sliding scale autonomy; automatically changing autonomy levels; summarizing robot state and past actions; and interacting with bystanders. During the first three year of this project, the PI will design systems and conduct experiments in and effort to find answers to these challenge areas. She will test her theories in two robot applications: urban search and rescue, which requires the operator to be remotely located; and robotic wheelchairs, where the operator is sitting on the robot and bystanders can be affected by the operation of the system. In the final two years of the project, the PI will validate her theories in a third application: a robot assistant for the elderly or disabled. Throughout the grant period, the research will be integrated into courses (undergraduate as well as graduate), as well as outreach activities in middle and high schools. The PI will also develop a new course, Interacting with Autonomous Systems, which will address both human-computer interaction (HCI) and human-robot interaction (HRI). The intellectual merits of this project includes: formulation and testing of theories for determining how to appropriately set and switch autonomy levels for robotic systems; creation of methods for blending autonomy levels to create new autonomy levels; development of an improved understanding of interaction with robotic systems; and validation of all hypotheses through the development of a new robotic system.Broader Impacts: All of the robot application areas to be explored in this research have the potential to impact society. The theories regarding interacting with autonomy will apply to non-robotic systems as well, including space systems such as life support. Inclusion of undergraduate students in the research will encourage them to pursue graduate studies, and the outreach program will introduce middle and high school students to robotics.