Special session - Everyday robotics : new visions, new challenges

sOc-EUSAI'2005 conference

Special session - Everyday robotics : new visions, new challenges

S3-1 Introduction to the special session on "Everyday robotics : new visions, new challenges"
Kaplan, Frederic
As formated for the printed proceedings - 1000.ps - 1000.pdf - pages 57-58
As delivered by the authors - 1000_pdf_file.pdf

S3-2 Everyday robotics : robots as everyday objects
Kaplan, Frederic
As formated for the printed proceedings - 39.ps - 39.pdf - pages 59-64
As delivered by the authors - 39_pdf_file.pdf
Abstract :
Why are we not living yet with robots? If robots are not common everyday objects, it is maybe because we have looked for robotic applications without considering with sufficient attention what could be the experience of interacting with a robot. This article introduces the idea of a value profile, a notion intended to capture the general evolution of our experience with different kinds of objects. After discussing value profiles of commonly used objects, it offers a rapid outline of the challenging issues that must be investigated concerning immediate, short-term and long-term experience with robots. Beyond science-fiction classical archetypes, the picture emerging from this analysis is the one of versatile everyday robots, autonomously developing in interaction with humans, communicating with one another, changing shape and body in order to be adapted to their various context of use. To become everyday objects, robots will not necessary have to be useful, but they will have to be at the origins of radically new forms of experiences.

S3-3 Designing Robot Applications for Everyday Environments
Ljungblad, Sara - Holmquist, Lars Erik
As formated for the printed proceedings - 45.ps - 45.pdf - pages 65-68
As delivered by the authors - 45_pdf_file.pdf
Abstract :
We report from the workshop “Designing robot applications for everyday use”. This event gathered robot researchers and interaction designers from several countries in order to push robot application domains in novel directions. This article presents the methods we used for breaking out of limited views of robots, and our process for refining ideas to more realistic product opportunities. Based on the results of the workshop, we discuss current challenges of extending the design space of novel robot product ideas.

S3-4 Experiencing the flow : design issues in human-robot interaction
Marti, Patrizia - Giusti, Leonardo - Pollini, Alessandro - Rullo, Alessia
As formated for the printed proceedings - 12.ps - 12.pdf - pages 69-74
As delivered by the authors - 12_pdf_file.pdf
Abstract :
The experience of "emotional tuning" with artefacts that are not merely static (a teapot), nor merely reactive (a VCR), but that are autonomous, physical objects with decision-making abilities, pro-active, dynamic and designed with the general purpose of engaging users in social interaction, is an intriguing issue for interaction design.
This paper is a reflection about the compelling yet difficult nature of interaction dynamics among humans and robots, and a special category among them: robots capable of mediating social interaction.
Supporting such experiences means providing intensive embedding in the situation, motivating the users through a sense of engagement, similarly to what Csikszentmihalyi (1990) defines "optimal flow", the absolute absorption in the activity where the experience is guided by the personal feeling of the external worlds. The objective of our investigation is to analyze and try to understand if and when robotic devices can engage humans in activities likely to result in "being in the flow". We will try to analyze the different dimensions of flow in relation to different kinds of robotic devices: the seal robot Paro, used both for company and for therapeutic activities, the Intelligent Building Blocks, a robotic construction kit often used in educational activities, LEGO Mindstorms, the popular construction kit developed by LEGO.
The perspective that will be presented is connected to the quality of interaction and to the personal significance that every human being creates by getting involved and involving its own life experience in the interaction with the robot.

S3-5 Universal Programming Interfaces for Robotic Devices
Baillie, Jean-Christophe
As formated for the printed proceedings - 50.ps - 50.pdf - pages 75-80
As delivered by the authors - 50_pdf_file.pdf
Abstract :
Robotic devices, whether service robots designed to help people or entertainment robots, are more and more widespread, and their number is increasing. All these robots currently have a different programming interface, more or less complex and more or less powerful. The situation is reminding of the 80's and the personal computer revolution: many vendors, models and as many programming languages and interfaces. We have developed URBI, a Universal Robotic Body Interface in an attempt to address this issue and provide a standard and simple way to control robots, while still providing powerful high-level capabilities expected from a modern programming language. To achieve this, URBI is based on a client/server architecture where the server is running on the robot and accessed by the client, typically via TCP/IP. The client can be any system, thus giving a great deal of flexibility. The URBI language is a high level scripted interface language used by the client and capable of controlling the joints of the robot or accessing its sensors, camera, speakers or any accessible part of the machine. We present in this article a short introduction to URBI and show application examples with Aibo. We finally explore how URBI could impact the development of everyday robotics and facilitate the interaction between robots, computers and smart objects in general.

S3-6 Task planning for Human-Robot Interaction
Alami, Rachid - Clodic, Aurelie - Montreuil, Vincent - Sisbot, Akin - Chatila, Raja
As formated for the printed proceedings - 81.ps - 81.pdf - pages 81-86
As delivered by the authors - 81_pdf_file.pdf
Abstract :
Human-robot interaction requires explicit reasoning on the human environment and on the robot capacities to achieve its tasks in a collaborative way with a human partner.
This paper focuses on organization of the robot decisional abilities and more particularly on the management of human interaction as an integral part of the robot control architecture. Such an architecture should be the framework that will allow the robot to accomplish its tasks but also produce behaviors that support its engagement vis-a-vis its human partner and interpret similar behaviors from him.
Together and in coherence with this framework, we intend to develop and experiment various task planners and interaction schemes. that will allow the robot to select and perform its tasks while taking into account explicitly the constraints imposed by the presence of humans, their needs and preferences.
We have considered a scheme where the robot plans for itself and for the human in order not only (1) to assess the feasibility of the task (at a certain level) before performing it, but also (2) to share the load between the robot and the human and (3) to explain/illustrate a possible course of action.