Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
11:01
SSVEP-based Experimental Procedure for Brain-Robot Interaction with Humanoid Robots
Published on: November 24, 2015
Robot-mediated interviews--how effective is a humanoid robot as a tool for interviewing young children?
Luke Jai Wood1, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Austen Rainer
1School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. l.wood@herts.ac.uk
Plos One
|March 28, 2013
Summary
Children interacted similarly with a humanoid robot (KASPAR) and a human interviewer. This study explored robot-mediated interviews for children, finding comparable engagement but differences in interaction dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Human-Robot Interaction
- Developmental Psychology
- Robotics in Education
Background:
- Humanoid robots are increasingly used in education, therapy, and entertainment.
- Robot-mediated interaction offers novel approaches for research and application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate children's behavioral responses during robot-mediated interviews.
- To compare children's interactions with a humanoid robot (KASPAR) versus a human interviewer.
Main Methods:
- An experimental study involving 21 children aged 7-9 years.
- Children participated in two interviews: one with an adult, one with KASPAR.
- Data collected through behavioral coding and questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Children's interaction patterns with KASPAR were largely similar to those with a human interviewer.
- Key differences observed in interview duration, eye gaze, and interviewer response time.
- No significant differences in overall engagement were noted.
Conclusions:
- Humanoid robots like KASPAR can effectively mediate interviews with young children.
- Potential applications exist in sensitive areas such as police, social services, and healthcare.
- Further research can optimize robot design for enhanced child-robot interviewing.
