Comply with me: Using design manipulations to affect human–robot interaction in a covid-19 officer robot use case

Ela Liberman-Pincu, Amit David, Vardit Sarne-Fleischmann, Yael Edan, Tal Oron-Gilad

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

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 languageEnglish
Article number71
JournalMultimodal Technologies and Interaction
Volume5
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2021
Externally publishedYes

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.

FundersFunder number
Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Israel3-15625
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

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