Using Design Metaphors to Understand User Expectations of Socially Interactive Robot Embodiments

TL;DR

This research investigates how design metaphors influence user expectations of social robots, aiming to improve human-robot interaction by aligning perceptions with actual capabilities through multiple crowd-sourced studies.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive evaluation of design metaphors across various robot embodiments to guide designers in aligning user expectations with robot functionalities.

Findings

Design metaphors significantly shape user expectations.

Alignment of expectations improves interaction satisfaction.

Different levels of metaphor abstraction affect functional expectations.

Abstract

The physical design of a robot suggests expectations of that robot's functionality for human users and collaborators. When those expectations align with the true capabilities of the robot, interaction with the robot is enhanced. However, misalignment of those expectations can result in an unsatisfying interaction. This paper uses Mechanical Turk to evaluate user expectation through the use of design metaphors as applied to a wide range of robot embodiments. The first study (N=382) associates crowd-sourced design metaphors to different robot embodiments. The second study (N=803) assesses initial social expectations of robot embodiments. The final study (N=805) addresses the degree of abstraction of the design metaphors and the functional expectations projected on robot embodiments. Together, these results can guide robot designers toward aligning user expectations with true robot capabilities, facilitating positive human-robot interaction.