What Does a Meow Mean? In Search of Intuitively Understandable Communication by a Nonverbal Companion Robot
This work addresses the challenge of designing intuitive communication for companion robots for older adults, but the findings are incremental and specific to the cat robot design.
The study designed and evaluated nonverbal communication signals (cat sounds and icons) for a companion robot for older adults. In an online experiment, accuracy was high with both signals, but auditory signals alone often reduced accuracy, except for strong sentiments like purring.
Older adults living alone have a number of challenges, and robots can help with some of them--by providing reminders, initiating activity, or offering comfort. As part of developing a cat robot with limited assistive functions, we designed a set of nonverbal communication signals, both auditory (cat sounds) and visual (icons on a small display). To evaluate these signals we used a mixed-methods, user-centered approach. After a pilot study, a focus group with older adults suggested revisions to the initial signal set. A large-sample online experiment then tested whether adults over the age of 65 could accurately infer the robot's communicative intentions. When both visual and auditory signals were present, accuracy was high. When visual signals were absent, accuracy often decreased; when auditory signals were absent, accuracy sometimes increased. So the auditory signals were less helpful, except when the robot conveyed strong sentiments (e.g., purring while being petted).