KEY PRINCIPLES BEING APPLIED TO HRI Required information should be present and clear Prevent errors if possible, if not, help users diagnose and recover Use metaphors and language the users already know Make it efficient to use Design should be aesthetic and minimalist Make the architecture scalable and support evolution of platforms Simplify tasks through autonomy Allow precise control Create a positive brand image Strive for a natural human-human interaction

SOURCES Sholtz, Nielsen, Schneiderman (modified) Nielsen, Schneiderman Sholtz, Nielsen (modified) Sholtz, Nielsen, Schneiderman Jenson [ 5], Nielsen Sholtz (new) (new) (new) (new)

 

“Simplify tasks through autonomy.” The fewer tasks the user is required to assist with, the more he can focus on high-level planning of his task. As mentioned earlier, it is simpler to drive the robot to a location by pointing with a laser pointer than navigating the robot to the location by remote control. Similarly, to simplify telemanipulation, where users control each joint of the robot arm, we are testing haptic interfaces that will automatically adjust the joints of the robot to move the robot’s arm into the desired place.

“Allow precise control.” Although it is important to use autonomy to simplify things, the robot still must be able to accomplish difficult and complex tasks. Designers can’t predict all the tasks or uses of a commercial robot, once it is in the hands of the user. For example, when teleoperating a robot like the PackBot for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the user may need to be very careful or complete an action in a specific way when using the robot’s arm to manipulate objects. There are many things that robots do not know,

and so it is often important that users have the capability to exert precise control over the robot and its arm.

At iRobot, the ninth principle, “create a positive brand image,” is crucial because we’re focusing on industry and commercial usage. If branding and name recognition become part of a robot, we can expect brand to influence users’ perceptions of robots, and their perceptions of the robots may change how they interact with one.

“Strive for a natural human-human interaction.” People work in the physical world, and so interfaces that also work in the physical world are the most effective, the simplest, and the most natural. If you work with robots as your teammates, you want to be able to talk to them and gesture to them just like you would to another person—you don’t want to drop your task and pick up a laptop. We have begun several small projects allowing users to gesture or speak to robots and to allow users to give commands without using any additional hardware. While general-purpose gestural interfaces

are a long way off, we consider other ways to reduce interface burden on users who are multitasking such as using head-mounted displays and familiar gaming controllers (similar to the Playstation 2 controller).

As robots become more complex and as markets become more competitive, the robotics industry is sure to see a growth in its need for HCI and HRI specialists. Similarly, HRI techniques must be expanded and improved to be relevant and useful in the commercial development space. Robots are quickly becoming a staple in many homes around the world, and they open up a whole new world of possibilities for interaction design.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Powers is the lead human-robot interaction researcher at iRobot, Corp. iRobot is known for its commercial successes both with the Roomba line of robotic vacuum cleaners and the PackBot line of military robots.

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March + April 2008