Towards Fluent Interaction with Cyber-Physical Architecture

TL;DR

This paper investigates human-robot interaction in shape-changing architectural environments through workshops and elicitation studies, highlighting user desires, interaction challenges, and proposing a modality-agnostic model for better collaboration.

Contribution

It introduces a set of grounded proposals for designing robotic environments that are collaborative and trustworthy partners in daily life, based on empirical studies.

Findings

User desires reveal tensions between automation and autonomy.

Core interaction challenges involve multimodal collaboration.

Need for a modality-agnostic model of user intent.

Abstract

What happens when your walls begin to move? This paper explores the design of human-robot interaction for architectural-scale, shape-changing environments. We present findings from two studies: (1) a series of speculative design workshops (N=20) that uncovered aspirational visions for these spaces, and (2) a task-based Wizard-of-Oz elicitation study (N=12) that grounded these visions in the challenges of practical interaction. Our workshop findings reveal a complex landscape of user desires, exposing critical tensions between proactive automation and the preservation of user autonomy, and between personalization and public ownership. Our elicitation study reveals a set of core interaction challenges related to multimodal collaboration; and, most critically: suggests the need for a modality-agnostic model of evolving user intent. We conclude with a set of grounded proposals for creating robotic environments that are collaborative and trusted partners in everyday life.