C. Breazeal

Abstract

We present the results of some early experiments with an autonomous robot to demonstrate its ability to regulate the intensity of social interaction with a human. The mode of social interaction is that of a caretaker-infant pair where a human acts as the caretaker for the robot. With respect to this type of socially situated learning, the ability to regulate the intensity of the interaction is important for promoting and maintaing a suitable learning environment where the learner (infant or robot) is neither overwhelmed nor under stimulated. The implementation and early demonstrations of this skill by our robot is the topic of this paper.