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TLDR

The study is situated within the development of a mobile robot path‑planning system. The paper reports on two studies that investigated optimal robot approach and positioning relative to seated humans. The authors carried out two live human‑robot interaction trials in which a robot fetched requested objects using different approach directions. Most participants disliked frontal approaches, preferred side approaches with a slight right‑side bias, and neither handedness nor occupation influenced these preferences.

Abstract

This paper presents the combined results of two studies that investigated how a robot should best approach and place itself relative to a seated human subject. Two live Human Robot Interaction (HRI) trials were performed involving a robot fetching an object that the human had requested, using different approach directions. Results of the trials indicated that most subjects disliked a frontal approach, except for a small minority of females, and most subjects preferred to be approached from either the left or right side, with a small overall preference for a right approach by the robot. Handedness and occupation were not related to these preferences. We discuss the results of the user studies in the context of developing a path planning system for a mobile robot.