Structured and Unstructured Speech2Action Frameworks for Human-Robot Collaboration: A User Study

Abstract

<p>This research delves into user preferences concerning structured (the subject follows an exact script to command the robot) and unstructured (the subject commands the robot in a conversational way) robot interaction through natural spoken language. Data was gathered from 30 adult participants who completed two distinct tasks involving both structured and unstructured commands. The study examines correlations between robot errors and user perceptions, as well as how past or present failures impact participants' perception of robot utility. Three hypotheses are formulated, and the paper offers a comprehensive overview of the study's aims, methodologies, and principal findings, which were ascertained using paired t-Test and Kendall-Tau correlations. The study indicates that participants showed a preference for the unstructured task in contrast to the structured one. Analysis of the data revealed interesting correlations between the user perception of the robot and the robot errors. </p> <p><em>This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessible</em> </p>