Optimizing human-robot interaction through personalization: An evidence-informed guide to designing social service robots

Abstract

The application of social service robots is increasing in our daily lives, including in healthcare, education and public spaces (e.g., hospitality or museums). With this near-ubiquity of robots comes the requirement to interact with a diverse group of individuals; each with their own needs, preferences and expectations. This paper identifies and synthesizes previous literature on personalization and culturalization within the field of human-robot interaction. Three over-arching considerations are discussed: (1) intended purpose and actions (i.e. service and behavior), (2) interactive functions (i.e. communication, language and proxemics) and (3) physical appearance of robots. Lastly, recommendations are made for other roboticists, for designing individually responsive social service robots.