Robots can be perceived as goal-oriented agents

Understanding the goals of others is fundamental for any kind of interpersonal interaction and collaboration. From a neurocognitive perspective, intention understanding has been proposed to depend on an involvement of the observer’s motor system in the prediction of the observed actions (Nyström et al. 2011; Rizzolatti & Sinigaglia 2010; Southgate et al. 2009). An open question is if a similar understanding of the goal mediated by motor resonance can occur not only between humans, but also for humanoid robots. In this study we investigated whether goal-oriented robotic actions can induce motor resonance by measuring the appearance of anticipatory gaze shifts to the goal during action observation. Our results indicate a similar implicit processing of humans’ and robots’ actions and propose to use anticipatory gaze behaviour as a tool for the evaluation of human-robot interactions. Keywords: Humanoid robot; motor resonance; anticipation; proactive gaze; action understanding

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Conscious and Unconscious Representations of Observed Actions in the Human Motor System

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00619 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (9) ◽

pp. 2028-2041 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Alan D. A. Mattiassi ◽

Sonia Mele ◽

Luca F. Ticini ◽

Cosimo Urgesi

Keyword(s):

Motor System ◽

Action Observation ◽

Single Pulse ◽

Basic Mechanism ◽

Perceptual Awareness ◽

Unconscious Perception ◽

Motor Resonance ◽

Specific Increase ◽

Human Motor ◽

Hand Action

Action observation activates the observer's motor system. These motor resonance responses are automatic and triggered even when the action is only implied in static snapshots. However, it is largely unknown whether an action needs to be consciously perceived to trigger motor resonance. In this study, we used single-pulse TMS to study the facilitation of corticospinal excitability (a measure of motor resonance) during supraliminal and subliminal presentations of implied action images. We used a forward and backward dynamic masking procedure that successfully prevented the conscious perception of prime stimuli depicting a still hand or an implied abduction movement of the index or little finger. The prime was followed by the supraliminal presentation of a still or implied action probe hand. Our results revealed a muscle-specific increase of motor facilitation following observation of the probe hand actions that were consciously perceived as compared with observation of a still hand. Crucially, unconscious perception of prime hand actions presented before probe still hands did not increase motor facilitation as compared with observation of a still hand, suggesting that motor resonance requires perceptual awareness. However, the presentation of a masked prime depicting an action that was incongruent with the probe hand action suppressed motor resonance to the probe action such that comparable motor facilitation was recorded during observation of implied action and still hand probes. This suppression of motor resonance may reflect the processing of action conflicts in areas upstream of the motor cortex and may subserve a basic mechanism for dealing with the multiple and possibly incongruent actions of other individuals.

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Motor Resonance May Originate From Sensorimotor Experience

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00386.2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

pp. 1867-1871 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Agustín Petroni ◽

Federico Baguear ◽

Valeria Della-Maggiore

Keyword(s):

Motor System ◽

Motor Evoked Potentials ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Action Observation ◽

Physical Nature ◽

Corticospinal Excitability ◽

Motor Resonance ◽

Major Interest ◽

Movement Index ◽

Static Pictures

In humans, the motor system can be activated by passive observation of actions or static pictures with implied action. The origin of this facilitation is of major interest to the field of motor control. Recently it has been shown that sensorimotor learning can reconfigure the motor system during action observation. Here we tested directly the hypothesis that motor resonance arises from sensorimotor contingencies by measuring corticospinal excitability in response to abstract non-action cues previously associated with an action. Motor evoked potentials were measured from the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) while human subjects observed colored stimuli that had been visually or motorically associated with a finger movement (index or little finger abduction). Corticospinal excitability was higher during the observation of a colored cue that preceded a movement involving the recorded muscle than during the observation of a different colored cue that preceded a movement involving a different muscle. Crucially this facilitation was only observed when the cue was associated with an executed movement but not when it was associated with an observed movement. Our findings provide solid evidence in support of the sensorimotor hypothesis of action observation and further suggest that the physical nature of the observed stimulus mediating this phenomenon may in fact be irrelevant.

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Interpersonal motor coordination

Interaction Studies ◽

10.1075/is.10.3.09mar ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 479-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ludovic Marin ◽

Johann Issartel ◽

Thierry Chaminade

Keyword(s):

Social Competence ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Motor Coordination ◽

Human Perception ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Human Interaction ◽

Interpersonal Interaction ◽

Motor Resonance ◽

The Social ◽

Implicit Motor

Here, we propose that bidirectionality in implicit motor coordination between humanoid robots and humans could enhance the social competence of human–robot interactions. We first detail some questions pertaining to human–robot interactions, introducing the Uncanny Valley hypothesis. After introducing a framework pertinent for the understanding of natural social interactions, motor resonance, we examine two behaviors derived from this framework: motor coordination, investigated in and informative about human–human interaction, and motor interference, which demonstrate the relevance of the motor resonance framework to describe human perception of humanoid robots. These two lines of investigation are then put together to “close the loop” by proposing to implement a key feature of motor coordination, bidirectionality, in robots’ behavior. Finally, we discuss the feasibility of implementing motor coordination between humanoid robots and humans, and the consequences of this implementation in enhancing the social competence of robots interacting with humans. Keywords: interpersonal interaction, motor resonance, motor coordination, motor interference, social robotics, anthropomorphism

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Cognitive load increases anthropomorphism of humanoid robot. The automatic path of anthropomorphism.

10.31234/osf.io/kd4ge ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nicolas Spatola ◽

Thierry Chaminade

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Control Theory ◽

Cognitive Load ◽

Cognitive Processes ◽

Humanoid Robot ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Artificial Agents ◽

The Everyday ◽

Physical Representation ◽

Open Question

Humanoid robots are predicted to be increasingly present in the everyday life of millions of people worldwide. Humans make sense these artificial agents’ actions mainly through the attribution of human characteristics, a process called anthropomorphism. However, despite a large number of studies, how the representation of artificial agents is constructed remains an open question. Here, we aim at integrating the process of anthropomorphism into the cognitive control theory, that postulates that we adapt resources management for information processing according to the current situation. In three experiments, we manipulated the cognitive load of participants while being observed by a humanoid robot to investigate how it could impact the online adaptation of the mental representation of the robot. The first two experiments indicated an online control of demanding resources in order to switch from an intentional to a physical representation, therefore inhibiting anthropomorphic, i.e. social, inferences. The third experiment investigated how the goals of the observing robot, i.e. “what” versus “why” is the robot observing, influences the effect of the cognitive load, showing that an explicit focus on its intentionality automatically biases cognitive processes towards anthropomorphism, yielding insights on how we mentally represent interacting robots when cognitive control theory and robots’ anthropomorphism are considered together.

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Humans and humanoids

10.1093/oso/9780199674923.003.0047 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Giorgio Metta

Keyword(s):

Humanoid Robot ◽

Robot Vision ◽

Physical Space ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Human Robot Interaction ◽

Biologically Inspired ◽

Robot Interaction ◽

Humanoid Robotics ◽

Biomimetic Robot ◽

Compliant Actuation

This chapter outlines a number of research lines that, starting from the observation of nature, attempt to mimic human behavior in humanoid robots. Humanoid robotics is one of the most exciting proving grounds for the development of biologically inspired hardware and software—machines that try to recreate billions of years of evolution with some of the abilities and characteristics of living beings. Humanoids could be especially useful for their ability to “live” in human-populated environments, occupying the same physical space as people and using tools that have been designed for people. Natural human–robot interaction is also an important facet of humanoid research. Finally, learning and adapting from experience, the hallmark of human intelligence, may require some approximation to the human body in order to attain similar capacities to humans. This chapter focuses particularly on compliant actuation, soft robotics, biomimetic robot vision, robot touch, and brain-inspired motor control in the context of the iCub humanoid robot.

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DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF A 1-DOF ANTHROPOMORPHIC CLUTCHED ARM FOR HUMANOID ROBOTS

International Journal of Humanoid Robotics ◽

10.1142/s0219843610002027 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 07 (01) ◽

pp. 157-182 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

HAO GU ◽

MARCO CECCARELLI ◽

GIUSEPPE CARBONE

Keyword(s):

Humanoid Robot ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Robot Arm ◽

Dynamic Simulations ◽

Suitable Combination ◽

User Friendly

In this paper, problems for an anthropomorphic robot arm are approached for an application in a humanoid robot with the specific features of cost oriented design and user-friendly operation. One DOF solution is proposed by using a suitable combination of gearing systems, clutches, and linkages. Models and dynamic simulations are used both for designing the system and checking the operation feasibility.

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User-centred design of humanoid robots’ communication

Paladyn Journal of Behavioral Robotics ◽

10.1515/pjbr-2021-0003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 58-73

Author(s):

Sofia Thunberg ◽

Tom Ziemke

Keyword(s):

Mental Models ◽

Participatory Design ◽

Humanoid Robot ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Design Method ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Human Robot Interaction ◽

Robot Interaction ◽

Design Concepts ◽

Design Ideas

AbstractInteraction between humans and robots will benefit if people have at least a rough mental model of what a robot knows about the world and what it plans to do. But how do we design human-robot interactions to facilitate this? Previous research has shown that one can change people’s mental models of robots by manipulating the robots’ physical appearance. However, this has mostly not been done in a user-centred way, i.e. without a focus on what users need and want. Starting from theories of how humans form and adapt mental models of others, we investigated how the participatory design method, PICTIVE, can be used to generate design ideas about how a humanoid robot could communicate. Five participants went through three phases based on eight scenarios from the state-of-the-art tasks in the RoboCup@Home social robotics competition. The results indicate that participatory design can be a suitable method to generate design concepts for robots’ communication in human-robot interaction.

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The Pransky interview: Dr Jun Ho Oh, Professor and Director of Humanoid Robot Research Center, KAIST; Cofounder, Rainbow Robotics Co.

Industrial Robot the international journal of robotics research and application ◽

10.1108/ir-08-2017-0141 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 695-699

Author(s):

Joanne Pransky

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Engineering ◽

Humanoid Robot ◽

Industrial Robot ◽

Science And Technology ◽

Vice President ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Commercial Development ◽

Content Type ◽

The University

Purpose The following paper is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry PhD-turned-entrepreneur regarding the commercialization and challenges of bringing a technological invention to market. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The interviewee is Dr Jun Ho Oh, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Director of KAIST’s Hubolab. Determined to build a humanoid robot in the early 2000s to compete with Japan’s humanoids, Dr Oh and KAIST created the KHR1. This research led to seven more advanced versions of a biped humanoid robot and the founding of the Robot for Artificial Intelligence and Boundless Walking (Rainbow) Co., a professional technological mechatronics company. In this interview, Dr Oh shares the history and success of Korea’s humanoid robot research. Findings Dr Oh received his BSc in 1977 and MSc in Mechanical Engineering in 1979 from Yonsei University. Oh worked as a Researcher for the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute before receiving his PhD from the University of California (UC) Berkeley in mechanical engineering in 1985. After his PhD, Oh remained at UC Berkeley to do Postdoctoral research. Since 1985, Oh has been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. He was a Visiting Professor from 1996 to 1997 at the University of Texas Austin. Oh served as the Vice President of KAIST from 2013-2014. In addition to teaching, Oh applied his expertise in robotics, mechatronics, automatic and real-time control to the commercial development of a series of humanoid robots. Originality/value Highly self-motivated and always determined, Dr Oh’s initial dream of building the first Korean humanoid bipedal robot has led him to become one of the world leaders of humanoid robots. He has contributed widely to the field over the nearly past two decades with the development of five versions of the HUBO robot. Oh led Team KAIST to win the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) and a grand prize of US$2m with its humanoid robot DRC-HUBO+, beating 23 teams from six countries. Oh serves as a robotics policy consultant for the Korean Ministry of Commerce Industry and Energy. He was awarded the 2016 Changjo Medal for Science and Technology, the 2016 Ho-Am Prize for engineering, and the 2010 KAIST Distinguished Professor award. He is a member of the Korea Academy of Science and Technology.

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Differences between young and old users when interacting with a humanoid robot: a qualitative usability study

Paladyn Journal of Behavioral Robotics ◽

10.1515/pjbr-2018-0013 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 183-192 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ronit Feingold-Polak ◽

Avital Elishay ◽

Yonat Shahar ◽

Maayan Stein ◽

Yael Edan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Humanoid Robot ◽

Motor Task ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Limited Information ◽

Old Adults ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Touch Interaction ◽

The Difference

Abstract With the aging of the population worldwide, humanoid robots are being used with an older population, e.g., stroke patients and people with dementia. There is a growing body of knowledge on how people interact with robots, but limited information on the difference between young and old adults in their preferences when interacting with humanoid robots and what factors influence these preferences.We developed a gamified robotic platform of a cognitive-motor task.We conducted two experiments with the following aims: to test how age, location of touch interaction (touching the robot’s tablet or hand), and embodied presence of a humanoid robot affect the motivation of different age-group users to continue performing a cognitive-motor task. A total of 60 participants (30 old adults and 30 young adults) took part in two experiments with the humanoid Pepper robot (Softbank robotics). Both old and young adults reported they enjoyed the interaction with the robot as they found it engaging and fun, and preferred the embodied robot over the non-embodied computer screen. This study highlights that in order for the experience of the user to be positive a personalization of the interaction according to the age, the needs of the user, the characteristics, and the pace of the task is needed.

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