The human intention. A taxonomy attempt and its applications to robotics

TL;DR

This paper proposes a comprehensive taxonomy of human intention, integrating psychological insights to improve human-robot interaction by recognizing diverse intention types and applying this understanding to robotics applications.

Contribution

It introduces a new intention taxonomy based on psychological and communication studies, guiding robotics research towards a more human-centric approach.

Findings

Classification of intention types from psychology and communication studies

Alignment of robotics studies with intention categories

Analysis of collaborative search and object transport use cases

Abstract

Despite a surge in robotics research dedicated to inferring and understanding human intent, a universally accepted definition remains elusive since existing works often equate human intention with specific task-related goals. This article seeks to address this gap by examining the multifaceted nature of intention. Drawing on insights from psychology, it attempts to consolidate a definition of intention into a comprehensible framework for a broader audience. The article classifies different types of intention based on psychological and communication studies, offering guidance to researchers shifting from pure technical enhancements to a more human-centric perspective in robotics. It then demonstrates how various robotics studies can be aligned with these intention categories. Finally, through in-depth analyses of collaborative search and object transport use cases, the article underscores the significance of considering the diverse facets of human intention.