Designing robots with the context in mind -- One design does not fit all

TL;DR

This paper emphasizes the importance of context-specific visual design in Socially Assistive Robots (SARs), showing that user expectations vary across different environments and roles, advocating for tailored design approaches.

Contribution

It introduces a framework of four contextual layers and provides empirical data demonstrating the need for context-aware SAR visual design.

Findings

User expectations vary significantly across different SAR contexts.

Visual qualities desired by users depend on the robot's role and environment.

A scientific approach to SAR design should incorporate contextual factors.

Abstract

Robots' visual qualities (VQs) impact people's perception of their characteristics and affect users' behaviors and attitudes toward the robot. Recent years point toward a growing need for Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) in various contexts and functions, interacting with various users. Since SAR types have functional differences, the user experience must vary by the context of use, functionality, user characteristics, and environmental conditions. Still, SAR manufacturers often design and deploy the same robotic embodiment for diverse contexts. We argue that the visual design of SARs requires a more scientific approach considering their multiple evolving roles in future society. In this work, we define four contextual layers: the domain in which the SAR exists, the physical environment, its intended users, and the robot's role. Via an online questionnaire, we collected potential users' expectations regarding the desired characteristics and visual qualities of four different SARs: a service robot for an assisted living/retirement residence facility, a medical assistant robot for a hospital environment, a COVID-19 officer robot, and a personal assistant robot for domestic use. Results indicated that users' expectations differ regarding the robot's desired characteristics and the anticipated visual qualities for each context and use case.