Simultaneous Dialogue Services Using Multiple Semiautonomous Robots in Multiple Locations by a Single Operator: A Field Trial on Souvenir Recommendation

Recently, teleoperation systems have been developed enabling a single operator to engage with users across multiple locations simultaneously. However, under such systems, a potential challenge exists where the operator, upon switching locations, may need to join ongoing conversations without a complete understanding of their history. Consequently, a seamless transition and the development of high-quality conversations may be impeded. This study directs its attention to the utilization of multiple robots, aiming to create a semiautonomous teleoperation system. This system enables an operator to switch between twin robots at each location as needed, thereby facilitating the provision of higher-quality dialogue services simultaneously. As an initial phase, a field experiment was conducted to assess user satisfaction with recommendations made by the operator using twin robots. Results collected from 391 participants over 13 days revealed heightened user satisfaction when the operator intervened and provided recommendations through multiple robots compared with autonomous recommendations by the robots. These findings contribute to the formulation of a teleoperation system that allows a single operator to deliver multipoint conversational services.