Double Pepper: Mediated Human-Robot Interaction and Its Influence on Human Perception

Remote communication solutions have grown in our globalized world. Combining this area with robotics, telepresence robots enable people to feel more present at distant locations and allow the operator to move freely. Seemingly, there is no difference in perceived human affinity whether a person interacts with another person directly or through a telepresence robot, as a preliminary study demonstrates. In contrast to the preliminary study focusing on affinity towards a human interaction partner, the study in this paper deploys a humanoid robot as interaction partner. Hence, this work aims to explore if human affinity towards a humanoid robot varies if people interact with it directly or through a telepresence robot (so called mediated human-robot interaction). A Double 2 robot was used as telepresence robot and a Pepper as humanoid robot interlocutor. To measure participants’ mood, the Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire was applied before and after interacting with Pepper. Also, human affinity was measured through a questionnaire. The results indicate that there is no significant difference regarding mood and perceived human affinity whether someone interacts with a humanoid robot in person or through a telepresence robot. However, participants were significantly more awake after interacting in person. Concluding, the field of mediated human-robot interaction can enable new successful use cases e.g. deploying a humanoid robot in a telepresence robot tour as a guide instead of a person. Thereby, neither attendees nor a human guide have to be onsite which is beneficial in health hazard crises such as the corona pandemic.