Human-facility interaction improving people's understanding of service robots and elevators - system design and...

Area of Science:

• Human-Robot Interaction
• Human-Facility Interaction (HFI)
• Service Robotics

Background:

• Service robots are increasingly common in public spaces like elevators.
• Effective human-robot communication is crucial for seamless integration.
• Elevators present unique challenges for human-facility interaction (HFI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a Human-Facility Interaction (HFI) system for service robots in elevators.
• To assess the impact of verbal and non-verbal communication on passenger experience.
• To provide insights for designing future HFI systems.

Main Methods:

• Developed an HFI system with voice announcements and light signals.
• Installed the system in a hotel elevator environment.
• Conducted two experiments with 31 participants to evaluate passenger impressions and perceived waiting time.

Main Results:

• Voice-based information significantly improved passenger impressions of the elevator and robot.
• Verbal communication led to a reduction in perceived waiting time.
• Light-based signals had minimal impact on impressions and increased perceived waiting time.

Conclusions:

• Voice communication is a key factor in positive human-robot interactions in shared spaces.
• Non-verbal cues like light signals may not be as effective and can negatively impact user experience.
• Findings inform the design of effective HFI systems for service robot integration.