Designing Robot Personality Based on Fictional Sidekick Characters

Abstract

Although most social robots introduced in the consumer market devoid of personality, research in HRI shows that designing personality-like behavior for robots could greatly benefit future interactions [2]. This work suggests the relationship between sidekick characters and protagonists, frequently found in media narratives, as a metaphor for designing robot behavior and personality. Findings from a content analysis study that examined fifteen characters from popular books and movies suggest three guidelines for designing personal robots: Reciprocity, Affirmation and Independence.