Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach

Kerstin Fischer; Lars Christian Jensen; Stefan-Daniel Suvei; Leon Bodenhagen

doi:10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186

Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach

Kerstin Fischer, Lars Christian Jensen, Stefan-Daniel Suvei, Leon Bodenhagen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review

Abstract

In this paper, we explore experimentally the possible tradeoff between gaze to the user and gaze to the path in robot approach. While some previous work indicates that gaze towards the user increases perceived safety because the user feels recognized, other work indicates that it is legibility of the robot's actions that put users at ease. If the robot does not drive up to the person in a straight line directly, the robot can either continuously look at the person and thus maintain eye contact, or indicate its path through its gaze behavior, increasing legibility. In an experiment with N=36 participants, we tested the tradeoff between legibility and eye contact. The behavioral results show that users are significantly more at ease with the robot that gazes at them than with the robot that looks where it is going, measured by the number of instances of glances away from the robot. Likewise, the participants rate the robot that looks at them continuously as more intelligent and more cooperative. Thus, participants value mutual gaze higher than legibility.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication
Publisher	IEEE
Publication date	15. Nov 2016
Pages	646-651
Article number	7745186
ISBN (Print)	978-1-5090-3930-2
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-5090-3929-6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186
Publication status	Published - 15. Nov 2016
Event	25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication - Columbia University, New York City, United States Duration: 26. Aug 2016 → 31. Aug 2016 Conference number: 25

Conference

Conference	25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication
Number	25
Location	Columbia University
Country/Territory	United States
City	New York City
Period	26/08/2016 → 31/08/2016

Series	Proceedings - IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication (ROMAN)
ISSN	1944-9445

Documents & Links

10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186

1 Board duties in companies, associations, or public organisations
1 Other
1 Conference presentations

Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach
Jensen, L. C. (Guest lecturer)
Aug 2016
Activity: Talks and presentations › Conference presentations
Human-Robot Interaction Lab Sønderborg
Jensen, L. C. (Participant)
1. Oct 2014 → 2020
Activity: Other activities › Other
Human-Robot Interaction Lab Sønderborg (External organisation)
Jensen, L. C. (Member)
2014 → 2020
Activity: Membership › Board duties in companies, associations, or public organisations

Cite this

@inproceedings{dfabf4ff59d14be1bc962c5a39d9807c,

title = "Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach",

abstract = "In this paper, we explore experimentally the possible tradeoff between gaze to the user and gaze to the path in robot approach. While some previous work indicates that gaze towards the user increases perceived safety because the user feels recognized, other work indicates that it is legibility of the robot's actions that put users at ease. If the robot does not drive up to the person in a straight line directly, the robot can either continuously look at the person and thus maintain eye contact, or indicate its path through its gaze behavior, increasing legibility. In an experiment with N=36 participants, we tested the tradeoff between legibility and eye contact. The behavioral results show that users are significantly more at ease with the robot that gazes at them than with the robot that looks where it is going, measured by the number of instances of glances away from the robot. Likewise, the participants rate the robot that looks at them continuously as more intelligent and more cooperative. Thus, participants value mutual gaze higher than legibility.",

author = "Kerstin Fischer and Jensen, {Lars Christian} and Stefan-Daniel Suvei and Leon Bodenhagen",

year = "2016",

month = nov,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-1-5090-3930-2",

series = "Proceedings - IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication (ROMAN)",

publisher = "IEEE",

pages = "646--651",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication",

address = "United States",

note = "25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, RO-MAN ; Conference date: 26-08-2016 Through 31-08-2016",

}

Fischer, K, Jensen, LC, Suvei, S-D & Bodenhagen, L 2016, Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach. in Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication., 7745186, IEEE, Proceedings - IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication (ROMAN), pp. 646-651, 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, New York City, United States, 26/08/2016. https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186

Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach. / Fischer, Kerstin; Jensen, Lars Christian; Suvei, Stefan-Daniel et al.
Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication. IEEE, 2016. p. 646-651 7745186 (Proceedings - IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication (ROMAN)).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Between Legibility and Contact

T2 - 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication

AU - Fischer, Kerstin

AU - Jensen, Lars Christian

AU - Suvei, Stefan-Daniel

AU - Bodenhagen, Leon

N1 - Conference code: 25

PY - 2016/11/15

Y1 - 2016/11/15

N2 - In this paper, we explore experimentally the possible tradeoff between gaze to the user and gaze to the path in robot approach. While some previous work indicates that gaze towards the user increases perceived safety because the user feels recognized, other work indicates that it is legibility of the robot's actions that put users at ease. If the robot does not drive up to the person in a straight line directly, the robot can either continuously look at the person and thus maintain eye contact, or indicate its path through its gaze behavior, increasing legibility. In an experiment with N=36 participants, we tested the tradeoff between legibility and eye contact. The behavioral results show that users are significantly more at ease with the robot that gazes at them than with the robot that looks where it is going, measured by the number of instances of glances away from the robot. Likewise, the participants rate the robot that looks at them continuously as more intelligent and more cooperative. Thus, participants value mutual gaze higher than legibility.

AB - In this paper, we explore experimentally the possible tradeoff between gaze to the user and gaze to the path in robot approach. While some previous work indicates that gaze towards the user increases perceived safety because the user feels recognized, other work indicates that it is legibility of the robot's actions that put users at ease. If the robot does not drive up to the person in a straight line directly, the robot can either continuously look at the person and thus maintain eye contact, or indicate its path through its gaze behavior, increasing legibility. In an experiment with N=36 participants, we tested the tradeoff between legibility and eye contact. The behavioral results show that users are significantly more at ease with the robot that gazes at them than with the robot that looks where it is going, measured by the number of instances of glances away from the robot. Likewise, the participants rate the robot that looks at them continuously as more intelligent and more cooperative. Thus, participants value mutual gaze higher than legibility.

U2 - 10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186

DO - 10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745186

M3 - Article in proceedings

SN - 978-1-5090-3930-2

T3 - Proceedings - IEEE International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication (ROMAN)

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BT - Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication

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Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach

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Between Legibility and Contact: The Role of Gaze in Robot Approach

Human-Robot Interaction Lab Sønderborg

Human-Robot Interaction Lab Sønderborg (External organisation)

Cite this