ProjecTA: A Semi-Humanoid Robotic Teaching Assistant with In-Situ Projection for Guided Tours
Hanqing Zhou, Yichuan Zhang, Zihan Zhang, Wei Zhang, Chao Wang, Pengcheng An

TL;DR
ProjecTA is a semi-humanoid robotic teaching assistant that uses in-situ projection to enhance guided tours by reducing cognitive load and improving user engagement compared to traditional screen-based methods.
Contribution
This paper introduces ProjecTA, a novel robotic TA with integrated spatial projection, and provides empirical evidence of its effectiveness in educational settings.
Findings
ProjecTA significantly reduced extraneous cognitive load.
ProjecTA outperformed screen-based TAs in usability and visual usefulness.
Projections and gestures improved understanding and spatial anchoring.
Abstract
Robotic teaching assistants (TAs) often use body-mounted screens to deliver content. In nomadic, walk-and-talk learning, such as tours in makerspaces, these screens can distract learners from real-world objects, increasing extraneous cognitive load. HCI research lacks empirical comparisons of potential alternatives, such as robots with in-situ projection versus screen-based counterparts; little knowledge has been derived for designing such alternatives. We introduce ProjecTA, a semi-humanoid, gesture-capable TA that guides learners while projecting near-object overlays coordinated with speech and gestures. In a mixed-method study (N=24) in a university makerspace, ProjecTA significantly reduced extraneous load and outperformed its screen-based counterpart in perceived usability, usefulness of visual display, and cross-modal complementarity. Qualitative analyses revealed how ProjecTA's…
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Taxonomy
TopicsSocial Robot Interaction and HRI · Interactive and Immersive Displays · Teaching and Learning Programming
