Spontaneous Short-term Interaction with Mobile Robots in Public Places

Abstract

This paper considers a specific type of interaction: short-term and spontaneous interaction with crowds of people. Such patterns of interactions are found when service robots operate in public places, for example information kiosks, receptionists, and tour-guide robots applications. We describe our approach to spontaneous short-term interaction: a robot designed to be a believable social agent. The approach has been implemented using a mobile robot with a motorized face as focal point for interaction, an architecture that suggests the robot has moods, and a method for learning how to interact with people. Our system was recently deployed at a Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC. During a two week period it interacted with thousands of people. The robot's interactive capabilities were essential for its high on-task performance, and thus its practical success.