First Steps of Designing Adaptable User Interfaces to Mediate Human-Robot Interaction

There is a wide diversity of platforms for teleoperating robots. Every robot, use case, and type of user brings a unique set of expectations. We propose that human-robot interaction should consider the opportunity to use an external device (such as a smartphone) to not only teleoperate but also mediate the interaction with a robot, either in telepresence or in co-presence. In this paper, we present first steps and ideas towards the development of this media. It involves, as first end-users, the members of the robotics department of our laboratory and considers all robotic platforms which are hosted there (assistance robots, terrestrial robots, robots humanoids, quadrupeds, etc.). We describe our user-centred design methodology, detailing the needs analysis and brainstorming sessions conducted. Following this, we outline the design and prototyping phases, showcasing the iterative development of our interface. Finally, we discuss the results from our evaluations and the implications for future work in creating flexible and inclusive interfaces for diverse user groups.