Cognitively adequate modelling of spatial reference in human-robot interaction

The question addressed in this paper is which types of spatial reference human users employ in their interaction with a robot and how a cognitively adequate model of these strategies can be implemented. Experiments in human-robot interaction were carried out which show how human users approach an artificial communication partner which was designed on the basis of empirical findings regarding spatial references among humans. The results are considerable differences in the strategies which speakers employ to achieve spatial reference in human-robot interaction and in natural communication.