Language：English   Publisher：Frontiers in Robotics and AI  

The field of human-robot interaction (HRI) research is multidisciplinary and requires researchers to understand diverse fields including computer science, engineering, informatics, philosophy, psychology, and more disciplines. However, it is hard to be an expert in everything. To help HRI researchers develop methodological skills, especially in areas that are relatively new to them, we conducted a virtual workshop, Workshop Your Study Design (WYSD), at the 2021 International Conference on HRI. In this workshop, we grouped participants with mentors, who are experts in areas like real-world studies, empirical lab studies, questionnaire design, interview, participatory design, and statistics. During and after the workshop, participants discussed their proposed study methods, obtained feedback, and improved their work accordingly. In this paper, we present 1) Workshop attendees’ feedback about the workshop and 2) Lessons that the participants learned during their discussions with mentors. Participants’ responses about the workshop were positive, and future scholars who wish to run such a workshop can consider implementing their suggestions. The main contribution of this paper is the lessons learned section, where the workshop participants contributed to forming this section based on what participants discovered during the workshop. We organize lessons learned into themes of 1) Improving study design for HRI, 2) How to work with participants - especially children -, 3) Making the most of the study and robot’s limitations, and 4) How to collaborate well across fields as they were the areas of the papers submitted to the workshop. These themes include practical tips and guidelines to assist researchers to learn about fields of HRI research with which they have limited experience. We include specific examples, and researchers can adapt the tips and guidelines to their own areas to avoid some common mistakes and pitfalls in their research.

DOI： 10.3389/frobt.2021.772141

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

Publisher：Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)  

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) support drivers in multiple ways, such as adaptive cruise control, lane tracking assistance (LTA), and blind spot monitoring, among other services. However, the use of ADAS cruise control has been reported to delay reaction to vehicle collisions. We created a robot human-machine interface (RHMI) to inform drivers of emergencies by means of movement, which would allow drivers to prepare for the disconnection of autonomous driving. This study investigated the effects of RHMI on response to the emergency disconnection of the LTA function of autonomous driving. We also examined drivers’ fatigue and arousal using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on the prefrontal cortex. The participants in this study were 12 males and 15 females. We recorded steering torque and NIRS data in the prefrontal region across two channels during the manipulation of automatic driving with a driving simulator. The scenario included three events in the absence of LTA due to bad weather. All of the participants experienced emergencies with and without RHMI, implemented using two agents: RHMI prototype (RHMI-P) and RoBoHoN. Our RHMI allowed the drivers to respond earlier to emergency LTA disconnection. All drivers showed a gentle torque response for RoBoHoN, but some showed a steep response with RHMI-P and without RHMI. NIRS data showed significant prefrontal cortex activation in RHMI conditions (especially RHMI-P), which may indicate high arousal. Our RHMI helped drivers stay alert and respond to emergency LTA disconnection; however, some drivers showed a quick and large torque response only with RHMI-P.

DOI： 10.1007/978-3-031-06086-1_9

Web of Science

Scopus

Language：Japanese   Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan  

Drivers' head movements are informative measures for evaluating the safety of elderly drivers. However, those measures are too technical for general elderly drivers to understand the meaning and how to improve them. This paper applied a principal component analysis (PCA) on elderly drivers' head movement measures driving a simulator, resulting in integrated head movement measures as principal axes that are easily interpretable: steadiness, quickness, and timeliness. Chart diagrams of PCA scores show an individual as well as group elderly drivers' characteristics. Based on the PCA scores, we discuss possible feedbacks for the elderly drivers.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.53.385

CiNii Research

Publisher：ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction  

The purpose of this workshop is to help researchers develop methodological skills, especially in areas that are relatively new to them. With HRI researchers coming from diverse backgrounds in computer science, engineering, informatics, philosophy, psychology, and more disciplines, we can't be expert in everything. In this workshop, participants will be grouped with a mentor to enhance their study design and interdisciplinary work. Participants will submit 4-page papers with a small introduction and detailed method section for a project currently in the design process. In small groups led by a mentor in the area, they will discuss their method and obtain feedback. The workshop will include time to edit and improve the study. Workshop mentors include Drs. Cindy Bethel, Hung Hsuan Huang, Selma Sabanović, Brian Scassellati, Megan Strait, Komatsu Takanori, Leila Takayama, and Ewart de Visser, with expertise in areas of real-world study, empirical lab study, questionnaire design, interview, participatory design, and statistics.

DOI： 10.1145/3434074.3444867

Web of Science

Scopus

Web of Science

Publisher：Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)  

Recently, computer-supported interactive technologies have played a significant role as complementary tools in creation of extraordinary artworks. These technologies have been used in art to explore their utility to compose new creative concepts, and to enrich the dimensions of artistic performances to strengthen the engagement between the performer and the audience. Since integrating the audience into the artistic performance has a significant role in enhancing an individual pleasure, a robotic medium holds great potential in bringing about new opportunities for artistic performances. In this preliminary study, we observed the effects of eye gazing behaviours of a minimal robot on audience engagement and connectedness in regard to an artistic performance. With this paper, the results from the data of a limited number of participants show that the audience tended to be distracted by the robot’s existence, however, the gazing behavior of the robot maintain a feeling of connectivity between the robot and the audience.

DOI： 10.1007/978-3-030-60152-2_26

Scopus

Language：Japanese   Publisher：Japan Ergonomics Society  

DOI： 10.5100/jje.56.2e2-04

CiNii Research

Web of Science

Publisher：IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium, Proceedings  

Automated driving systems are envisioned as the future mode of transportation owing to their projected ability to reduce human error and achieve more efficient and comfortable transportation. Accordingly, designing an interface that ensures the situational awareness of the human operator to reduce confusion, false expectations, and over-reliance on the automated system is important. When a human operator is in control, the automated system is expected to handle troublesome situations that the human is unable to manage. Thus, an interface is required to provide the appropriate information when necessary so that the human operator can easily perceive the reason for the sudden automated intervention. In this study, such a scenario is highlighted, in which a simulated automated intervention avoided a potential collision with a pedestrian who suddenly appeared on the roadside. To convey the reason for the automated intervention, an augmented reality-based head-up display (AR-HUD) cue that targets the pedestrian is developed. To understand the effects of the AR-HUD cue on the speed at which a human operator can recognize a pedestrian and the contribution of this visual cue to the perception of acceptability and credibility of the automated intervention, we compared AR-HUD with a static head-up display (S-HUD) that displays a pedestrian symbol at the bottom portion of the windshield. The results showed that the AR-HUD cue yielded faster recognition of the targeted pedestrian and provided a relatively more acceptable perception of the automated intervention.

DOI： 10.1109/iv47402.2020.9304610

Web of Science

Scopus

Publisher：HAI 2019 - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction  

Cars represent an important mode of transportation for the elderly; however, in recent years, the number of traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers in Japan has increased. Thus, to ensure driving safety, we are researching a driver agent system that provides driving support and feedback support to elderly drivers to encourage them to improve their driving. In this paper, we report on a set of preliminary experiments using our agent in an actual car environment designed to evaluate the subjective acceptability of and distraction by the agent based on subjective evaluation and analysis of driver fixation points during driving. The results revealed that the acceptability of the agent was high and that the agent in an actual car environment did not distract the driver.

DOI： 10.1145/3349537.3352765

Web of Science

Scopus