Multi-Aspect User Interaction Models for Distributed Robotic Systems: Collaborative Activity Generation

This paper introduces a multi-aspect modeling approach to designing human-robotic system interaction. With embedded technologies and network technologies, robotic systems can be implemented in highly distributed forms in the spaces of our daily life and work forming ambient intelligence environments with a wide range of informational and physical functions. In such environments, human-robotic system interaction needs to be highly flexible and controllable to meet complex operational requirements in varying contexts of users' activities. First, the human characteristics of flexible and inventive interaction that are particularly important in robotic system interface design are investigated. To explain the flexible nature of human interaction patterns, two mechanisms, goal-method alteration mechanism and viewpoint switching mechanism, are introduced to guide robotic system interface design for achieving collaborative, effective and convivial quality of interaction. Second, a human-centered-architecture design methodology is proposed to support the integration of such interface mechanisms into distributed robotic systems.