Uncertainty, Vagueness, and Ambiguity in Human-Robot Interaction: Why Conceptualization Matters

TL;DR

This paper clarifies the concepts of uncertainty, vagueness, and ambiguity in human-robot interaction, proposing a consistent foundational framework to improve empirical comparability and methodological development.

Contribution

It introduces a clear, dictionary-based conceptual foundation for these phenomena in HRI, addressing terminological inconsistencies and aiding future research and method design.

Findings

Analyzed dictionary definitions of the three concepts.

Clarified distinctions and relationships among uncertainty, vagueness, and ambiguity.

Demonstrated how a consistent foundation can improve method design and evaluation.

Abstract

Uncertainty, vagueness, and ambiguity are closely related and often confused concepts in human-robot interaction (HRI). In earlier studies, these concepts have been defined in contradictory ways and described using inconsistent terminology. This conceptual confusion and lack of terminological consistency undermine empirical comparability, thereby slowing the accumulation of theory. Consequently, consistent concepts that clarify these challenges, including their definitions, distinctions, and interrelationships, are needed in HRI. To address this lack of clarity, this paper proposes a consistent conceptual foundation for the challenges of uncertainty, vagueness, and ambiguity in HRI. First, we examine the meanings of these three terms in dictionaries. We then analyze the nature of their distinctions and interrelationships within the context of HRI. We further illustrate these characteristics through examples. Finally, we demonstrate how this consistent conceptual foundation facilitates the design of novel methods and the evaluation of existing methodologies for these phenomena.