Captain May I? Proxemics Study Examining Factors that Influence Distance between Humanoid Robots, Children, and Adults during Human-Robot Interaction

This proxemics study examines whether the physical distance between robots and humans differ based on the following factors: 1) age: children vs. adults, 2) who initiates the approach: humans approaching the robot vs. robot approaching humans, 3) prompting: verbal invitation vs. non-verbal gesture (e.g., beckoning), and 4) informing: announcement vs. permission vs. nothing. Results showed that both verbal and non-verbal prompting had significant influence on physical distance. Physiological data is also used to detect the appropriate timing of approach for a more natural and comfortable interaction. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.1.2 [Models and Principles]: User Machine Systems— Software psychology; human factors