Abstract
This study examines the effect of a COVID-19 Officer Robot (COR) on passersby compliance and the effects of its minor design manipulations on human–robot interaction. A robotic application was developed to ensure participants entering a public building comply with COVID restrictions of a green pass and wearing a face mask. The participants’ attitudes toward the robot and their perception of its authoritativeness were explored with video and questionnaires data. Thematic analysis was used to define unique behaviors related to human–COR interaction. Direct and extended interactions with minor design manipulation of the COR were evaluated in a public scenario setting. The results demonstrate that even minor design manipulations may influence users’ attitudes toward officer robots. The outcomes of this research can support manufacturers in rapidly adjusting their robots to new domains and tasks and guide future designs of authoritative socially assistive robots (SARs).
Original language | English |
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Article number | 71 |
Journal | Multimodal Technologies and Interaction |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Funding
Funding: This research was supported by Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Israel (grant 3-15625), and by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev through the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the Agricultural, Biological and Cognitive Robotics Initiative, the W. Gunther Plaut Chair in Manufacturing Engineering and by the George Shrut Chair in Human performance Management.
Funders | Funder number |
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Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Israel | 3-15625 |
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust | |
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Compliance
- Design manipulation
- Human–robot interaction
- Robot authority
- Service robot
- Social assistive robot
- Thematic analysis
- Visual qualities