Related papers: Robot-Assisted Group Tours for Blind People
Since the launch of Google Glass in 2014, smart glasses have mainly been designed to support micro-interactions. The ultimate goal for them to become an augmented reality interface has not yet been attained due to an encumbrance of…
Social VR has increased in popularity due to its affordances for rich, embodied, and nonverbal communication. However, nonverbal communication remains inaccessible for blind and low vision people in social VR. We designed accessible cues…
The recent revolution of intelligent systems made it possible for robots and autonomous systems to work alongside humans, collaborating with them and supporting them in many domains. It is undeniable that this interaction can have huge…
Robot navigation in crowded public spaces is a complex task that requires addressing a variety of engineering and human factors challenges. These challenges have motivated a great amount of research resulting in important developments for…
In this paper I describe the design of an introductory course in Human-Robot Interaction. This project-driven course is designed to introduce undergraduate and graduate engineering students, especially those enrolled in Computer Science,…
Spatial computing -- the ability of devices to be aware of their surroundings and to represent this digitally -- offers novel capabilities in human-robot interaction. In particular, the combination of spatial computing and egocentric…
In this paper we present an integrated robotic system capable of participating in and performing a wide range of educational and entertainment tasks, in collaboration with one or more children. The system, called ChildBot, features…
Robotic telepresence enables users to navigate and experience remote environments. However, effective navigation and situational awareness depend on users' prior knowledge of the environment, limiting the usefulness of these systems for…
As social robots are increasingly introduced into dementia care, their embodied and interactive design may blur the boundary between artificial and lifelike entities, raising ethical concerns about robotic deception. However, it remains…
By the year 2023, the global population of individuals with impaired vision has surpassed 220 million. People with impaired vision will find it difficult while finding path or avoiding obstacles, and must ask for auxiliary tools for help.…
Visual impairments create barriers to learning physical activities, since conventional training methods rely on visual demonstrations or often inadequate verbal descriptions. This research explores 3D-printed human body models to enhance…
A single mobile service robot may generate hundreds of encounters with pedestrians, yet there is little published data on the factors influencing these incidental human-robot encounters. We report the results of a between-subjects…
Multi-robot rendezvous and exploration are fundamental challenges in the domain of mobile robotic systems. This paper addresses multi-robot rendezvous within an initially unknown environment where communication is only possible after the…
Blind and low-vision (BLV) people face many challenges when venturing into public environments, often wishing it were easier to get help from people nearby. Ironically, while many sighted individuals are willing to help, such interactions…
This paper introduces a live object recognition system that serves as a blind aid. Visually impaired people heavily rely on their other senses such as touch and auditory signals for understanding the environment around them. The act of…
Expressivity--the use of multiple modalities to convey internal state and intent of a robot--is critical for interaction. Yet, due to cost, safety, and other constraints, many robots lack high degrees of physical expressivity. This paper…
People feel attached to places that are meaningful to them, which psychological research calls "place attachment." Place attachment is associated with self-identity, self-continuity, and psychological well-being. Even small cues, including…
Today's virtual reality (VR) systems and environments assume that users have typical abilities, which can make VR inaccessible to people with physical impairments. However, there is not yet an understanding of how inaccessible locomotion…
Robots in shared spaces often move in ways that are difficult for people to interpret, placing the burden on humans to adapt. High-DoF robots exhibit motion that people read as expressive, intentionally or not, making it important to…
The number of visually impaired or blind (VIB) people in the world is estimated at several hundred million. Based on a series of interviews with the VIB and developers of assistive technology, this paper provides a survey of…