Mobile Robots

会議の名前
CHI 2025
Encounter with the Giants: Understanding Interaction with Large-scale Inflatable Soft Robots
要旨

Soft robots, constructed from compliant materials, offer unique flexibility and adaptability. However, most research has focused on small-scale interactions, leaving the potential of large-scale soft robots largely unexplored. This research explores how humans engage with inflatable soft robots that are large in size and created for fun and artistic expression. We conducted 22 hours of video analysis (N=30) and thematic interviews (N=20) to understand user engagement and explore their motivations. Our findings revealed a range of interactions, from delicate touches to immersive full-body engagement, driven by trust, safety, and emotional connection. Participants frequently compared the robots to peaceful creatures like plants and sea animals, fostering playful and therapeutic interactions. These insights highlight the potential of giant soft robots in enhancing emotional well-being, therapeutic applications, and immersive experiences. This paper aims to inspire future designs that leverage the unique attributes of large-scale soft robots for trust-centered, interactive human-robot relationships.

著者
Bijetri Biswas Biswas
University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
Emma Powell
Airgiants,Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
Robert Nixdorf
Airgiants,Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
Richard Sewell
Airgiants,Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
Anne Roudaut
University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
DOI

10.1145/3706598.3713673

論文URL

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713673

動画
Beyond Vacuuming: How Can We Exploit Domestic Robots’ Idle Time?
要旨

We are increasingly adopting domestic robots (e.g., Roomba) that provide relief from mundane household tasks. However, these robots usually only spend little time executing their specific task and remain idle for long periods. They typically possess advanced mobility and sensing capabilities, and therefore have significant potential applications beyond their designed use. Our work explores this untapped potential of domestic robots in ubiquitous computing, focusing on how they can improve and support modern lifestyles. We conducted two studies: an online survey (n=50) to understand current usage patterns of these robots within homes and an exploratory study (n=12) with HCI and HRI experts. Our thematic analysis revealed 12 key dimensions for developing interactions with domestic robots and outlined over 100 use cases, illustrating how these robots can offer proactive assistance and provide privacy. Finally, we implemented a proof-of-concept prototype to demonstrate the feasibility of reappropriating domestic robots for diverse ubiquitous computing applications.

著者
Yoshiaki Shiokawa
University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
Winnie Chen
University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
Aditya Shekhar Nittala
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Jason Alexander
University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
Adwait Sharma
University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
DOI

10.1145/3706598.3714266

論文URL

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3714266

動画
Articulating Human-World Relations from Co-Designing a Collaborative Robotic System
要旨

In contrast to traditional industrial robots, collaborative robots are developed with the intention of allowing for close-proximity physical interaction between humans and robots. Current definitions of collaborative robots provide a pragmatic starting point for establishing safety guidelines, choosing operating parameters, and implementing organisational changes, but remain predicated on technological conceptions that prioritise a conscious split between people and robots, with the surrounding world as merely a physical site for interaction. In this paper, we take a postphenomenological perspective on robots in an investigation of human-world relations that robots can give rise to. This perspective can help elucidate the nature of such relations in a design process. Our investigation is anchored in an 8-month research study that aimed to, first, identify opportunities for a robot integration within a medical manufacturing facility and, second, facilitate a design and implementation process of a proof-of-concept robotic system in collaboration with workers. The paper contributes with an empirically anchored postphenomenological analysis of how human-world relations played out in the design process of a collaborative robotic system. Finally, we elaborate on the utility and limitations of a postphenomenological lens for design research.

著者
Stine S. Johansen
Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Jared W. Donovan
Jared Donovan, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
Markus Rittenbruch
QUT, Brisbane, Australia
DOI

10.1145/3706598.3714109

論文URL

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3714109

動画
Peek into the `White-Box': A Field Study on Bystander Engagement with Urban Robot Uncertainty
要旨

Uncertainty inherently exists in the autonomous decision-making process of robots. Involving humans in resolving this uncertainty not only helps robots mitigate it but is also crucial for improving human-robot interactions. However, in public urban spaces filled with unpredictability, robots often face heightened uncertainty without direct human collaborators. This study investigates how robots can engage bystanders for assistance in public spaces when encountering uncertainty and examines how these interactions impact bystanders' perceptions and attitudes towards robots. We designed and tested a speculative `peephole' concept that engages bystanders in resolving urban robot uncertainty. Our design is guided by considerations of non-intrusiveness and eliciting initiative in an implicit manner, considering bystanders' unique role as non-obligated participants in relation to urban robots. Drawing from field study findings, we highlight the potential of involving bystanders to mitigate urban robots' technological imperfections to both address operational challenges and foster public acceptance of urban robots. Furthermore, we offer design implications to encourage bystanders' involvement in mitigating the imperfections.

著者
Xinyan Yu
School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Marius Hoggenmüller
School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tram Thi Minh. Tran
School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Yiyuan Wang
The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Qiuming Zhang
The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Martin Tomitsch
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
DOI

10.1145/3706598.3713790

論文URL

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713790

動画
corobos: A Design for Mobile Robots Enabling Cooperative Transitions between Table and Wall Surfaces
要旨

Swarm User Interfaces allow dynamic arrangement of user environments through the use of multiple mobile robots, but their operational range is typically confined to a single plane due to constraints imposed by their two-wheel propulsion systems. We present corobos, a proof-of-concept design that enables these robots to cooperatively transition between table (horizontal) and wall (vertical) surfaces seamlessly, without human intervention. Each robot is equipped with a uniquely designed slope structure that facilitates smooth rotation when another robot pushes it toward a target surface. Notably, this design relies solely on passive mechanical elements, eliminating the need for additional active electrical components. We investigated the design parameters of this structure and evaluated its transition success rate through experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate various application examples to showcase the potential of corobos in enhancing user environments.

著者
Changyo Han
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Yosuke Nakagawa
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Takeshi Naemura
The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
DOI

10.1145/3706598.3713440

論文URL

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713440

動画