Helping Robots Imitate: Metrics And Computational Solutions Inspired By Human-Robot Interaction Studies

Abstract

In this chapter we describe three lines of research related to the issue of helping robots imitate people. These studies are based on observed human be- haviour, technical metrics and implemented technical solutions. The three lines of research are: (a) a number of user studies that show how humans naturally tend to demonstrate a task for a robot to learn, (b) a formal approach to tackle the problem of what a robot should imitate, and (c) a technology-driven conceptual framework and technique, inspired by social learning theories, that addresses how a robot can be taught. In this merging exercise we will try to propose a way through this prob- lem space, towards the design of a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) system able to be taught by humans via demonstration.