Cynthia Breazeal, Wang A., Rosalind W. Picard

Abstract

We present RoCo, the first robotic computer designed with the ability to move its monitor in subtly expressive ways that respond to and encourage its user’s own postural movement. We use RoCo in a novel user study to explore whether a computer’s “posture” can influence its user’s subsequent posture, and if the interaction of the user’s body state with their affective state during a task leads to improved task measures such as persistence in problem solving. We believe this is possible in light of new theories that link physical posture and its influence on affect and cognition. Initial results with 71 subjects support the hypothesis that RoCo’s posture not only manipulates the user’s posture, but also is associated with hypothesized posture-affect interactions. Specifically, we found effects on increased persistence on a subsequent cognitive task, and effects on perceived level of comfort. Categories and Subject Descriptors J.4 [Computer Applications]: Social and Behavioral Sciences General Terms Human Factors, Experimentation Keywords Human-Robot Interaction, User Studies, Affect, Embodiment 1. INTRODUCTION In this paper we present RoCo, a novel robotic computer designed with the ability to move its monitor in subtly expressive ways that respond to and encourage its user’s own postural movement. The design of RoCo is inspired by a Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. HRI’07, March 8-11, 2007, Arlington, Virginia, USA. Copyright 2007 ACM 978-1-59593-617-2/07/0003 ...$5.00. " !"##$ "# &#'()*+, -#.")+* /'0 /11*2" 3'"*+/2" "# 3'14)*'2* 2#5$)"*+ ).*+.6 $*+.3."*'2* /'0 2#51#+" !"#$% '(%)*# +,-. /01,23 "4 01"25 6.7".89 #$$%&%'(%)* +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 #..4055 +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 067'%& '..4055 +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 89(%)*'& 9:)*0 *;7<04 +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 :.;*25 '(%)*# +,-. /01,23 "4 01"25 6.7".89 #$$%&%'(%)* +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 #..4055 +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 067'%& '..4055 +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 89(%)*'& 9:)*0 *;7<04 +,&'*- %$ ,&%*. /01%023 78!9:7&9 /)=)> ' *)10& 4)<)(%? ?)79;(04> :'5 (:0 ?'9'<%&%(@ () 7)10 %(5 7)*%()4 %* 5;<(&@ 0A94055%10 2'@5 (:'( 4059)*. () '*. 94)7)(0 %(5 ;504B5 9)5(;4'& 7)1070*(C D)(%1'(0. <@ /%5-%*.B5 EF())9 () ?)*G;04H 4050'4?: 2:040 %( 2'5 $);*. (:'( 9)5(;405 ?)*I4;);5 () (:0 (@90 )$ );(?)70 ' 9045)* 40?0%10. +0CIC 5&;79%*I $)&&)2%*I ' $'%&;40 )4 5%((%*I ;9 94);.&@ $)&&)2%*I ' 5;??0553 &0. () 5%I*%$%?'*(&@ <0((04 904$)47'*?0 %* ' 5;<50G;0*( ?)I*%(%10 ('5- (:'* %*?)*I4;);5 9)5(;405 +0CIC 5%((%*I ;9 94);.&@ $)&&)2%*I ' $'%&;40 )4 5&;79%*I $)&&)2%*I 5;??0553> 20 904$)470. (2) 0A904%70*(5 2:040 /)=) 2'5 ;50. () 7'*%9;&'(0 %(5 ;504B5 9)5(;40C 8;4 405;&(5 5:)2 (:'( 90)9&0 (0*. () <0 7)40 9045%5(0*( )* ' 5;<50G;0*( ('5- '*. $00& 7)40 ?)7$)4('<&0 2:0* /)=)B5 9)5(;40 %5 ?)*I4;);5 () (:0%4 '$$0?(%10 5('(0 (:'* 2:0* %( %5 %*?)*I4;);5C 8;4 5(;.@ %5 (:0 $%45( () 5:)2 (:'( ' ?)79;(04B5 E9)50H ?)*I4;);5 )4 %*?)*I4;);5 () ' ;504B5 '$$0?(%10 5('(0 ?'* *)( )*&@ %*$&;0*?0 04I)*)7%? $'?()45 5;?: '5 ?)7$)4(> <;( 904:'95 7)40 5;494%5%*I&@> %*$&;0*?0 $'?()45 5;?: '5 9045%5(0*?0 %* 94)<&07 5)&1%*I ('5-5C 7)";#+ <*=>#+0. J504 5(;.%05> #$$0?(%10 K*(04'?(%)*> L)5(;40 '*. M7)(%)*> N;7'*6/)<)( K*(04'?(%)*> 7&? &4/.