UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
		 COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

			      presents

	       "Exploratory Study of a Robot Approaching
	    a Person in the Context of Handing Over an Object"

			  Dr. Kheng Lee Koay
		   (Adaptive Systems Research Group,
		      University of Hertfordshire)


			 21 March 2007 (Wednesday)

			  Lecture Theatre E350
		       Hatfield, College Lane Campus
			       3 - 4 pm

	       Coffee/tea and biscuits will be available.
			  [Catering Permitting]

		    Everyone is Welcome to Attend
			  [Space Permitting]



Abstract:

In this presentation I will present the results from a Human-Robot
Interaction study that investigates the issues of participants'
preferences in terms of the robot approach direction, robot base approach
interaction distance, robot handing over hand distance, robot handing
over arm gesture, and the coordination of both the robot approaching and
the robot handing over arm gesture in the context of a robot handing
over an object to a seated person. The results from this study aim at
informing the development of a Human Aware Manipulation Planner. Twelve
participants with some previous human-robot interaction experience
were recruited for the trial.  The results show that a majority of the
participants prefer the robot to approach from the front and hand them a
can of soft drink in the front sector of their personal zone. The robot
handing over hand position had the most influence on determining from
where the robot should approach.  Legibility and perception of risk seem
to be the deciding factor on how participants choose their preferred
robot arm-base approach coordination for handing over a can. Detailed
discussions of the results conclude the paper.

--------------------------------------------------
Hertfordshire Computer Science Research Colloquium
http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~nehaniv/colloq