User Emotion and Perception of Virtual and Robot Companion Concepts for Shared Autonomous Mobility in Singapore

Abstract

The design of human-machine interfaces is crucial to support the transition to autonomous mobility, particularly in the context of shared experiences on public transport. We evaluated contrasting concepts developed in a previous study, a non-biomimetic Virtual Companion and an anthropomorphic Robot Companion representing must-have and ideal-to-have functions, in three future mobility scenarios in a mixed methods study (N = 62) using a slideshow-based narrative stimulus. Subject background data was collected to determine the influence of personality, comfort with technology and other demographics on emotional response and preferences. Results showed that subject background such as extraversion, neuroticism, gender, and comfort with technology significantly influenced user perceptions and emotional responses to the presented Companion concepts. Findings impact the design of interfaces for future mobility and other automated domains. Future work could investigate specific design characteristics to attribute emotions more precisely and determine how the design of human-machine interaction differs from human-human interaction.