Group Norm-Aware Robot Adaptively Maintains Suitable Interpersonal Distance in Human-Robot Group

Abstract

In this study, we evaluate the adaptivity of a mobile robot, controlled by a navigation model, to changes in personal space within dynamic human-robot groups. Several recent attempts have been made to develop robots suitable for human communities. Although human interpersonal space depends on particular contexts and situations, humans occupy their own space while sharing situation-dependent implicit norms on maintaining socially appropriate distance from one another. We have developed a mobile robot that can move in a scenario where group members need to move adaptively by obeying situation-dependent implicit norms of movement. The results show that the mobile robot appears more adaptive to changes in the groups than a comparison robot, although such an approach may appear overly simplistic or relatively straightforward. Such insights suggest that our proposed method enables the robot to move appropriately and find its own appropriate position in the group under scenario constraints.