NarraGuide: an LLM-based Narrative Mobile Robot for Remote Place Exploration

TL;DR

NarraGuide is a robot that uses large language models to provide narrative guidance during remote exploration, enhancing user experience and situational awareness in unfamiliar environments.

Contribution

This work introduces a novel LLM-based narrative system integrated into a mobile robot for remote exploration, demonstrated through deployment in a real-world museum setting.

Findings

Users engaged actively with the robot's narrative guidance.

Participants appreciated the dialogue-based exploration experience.

The system effectively supported remote learning about the environment.

Abstract

Robotic telepresence enables users to navigate and experience remote environments. However, effective navigation and situational awareness depend on users' prior knowledge of the environment, limiting the usefulness of these systems for exploring unfamiliar places. We explore how integrating location-aware LLM-based narrative capabilities into a mobile robot can support remote exploration. We developed a prototype system, called NarraGuide, that provides narrative guidance for users to explore and learn about a remote place through a dialogue-based interface. We deployed our prototype in a geology museum, where remote participants (n=20) used the robot to tour the museum. Our findings reveal how users perceived the robot's role, engaged in dialogue in the tour, and expressed preferences for bystander encountering. Our work demonstrates the potential of LLM-enabled robotic capabilities to deliver location-aware narrative guidance and enrich the experience of exploring remote environments.