University of Twente Student Theses
Enhancing robot legibility in hospital environments through shape-changing
Ossendrijver, Tom (2025) Enhancing robot legibility in hospital environments through shape-changing.
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| Abstract: | As robots increasingly navigate social environments like hospital hallways, effective communication of their intentions is of importance. This paper investigates shape-changing, the ability of an entity to intentionally manipulate its torso to undergo deformations with the aim of conveying messages, intentions, or information, as a novel communication modality to improve robot legibility for hospital navigation. While existing non-verbal modalities, such as lights and gestures, are already used to enhance robot legibility, they can fall short in meeting the complex demands of hospital environments. To address the limitations, this study explores shape-changing as a novel modality. Inspired by natural behaviors and animation principles, shape-changing offers visually clear and intuitive cues that may better align with the crowded and diverse nature of hospital environments. We conducted a 2x2 within-subjects experiment in a virtual reality hospital environment, comparing shape-changing with blinkers. Participants interacted with a robot using gaze, shape-changing, blinkers, or a combination of these modalities. We measured response time, accuracy, confidence, and surprise ratings, which are supported by qualitative findings. Additionally, we used the Robotic Social Attributes Scale (ROSAS) to examine how shape-changing influences the perceived social attributes of the robot. Results suggest that shape-changing is a promising modality for improving legibility, but its effectiveness depends on design and integration with other modalities. While shape-changing was perceived as intuitive, it could also be intimidating or shocking. Combining shape-changing with blinkers improved user confidence and reduced surprise, though inconsistencies between modalities sometimes caused mixed signals. The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that shape-changing shows promise as a novel modality for improving robot legibility in hospital environments. By testing shape-changing in a real robot prototype, we ensure the findings are applicable in practice. Additionally, this study provides valuable insights for the design and integration of shape-changing behavior to improve human-robot interaction, leading to more legible communication in social robotics. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | EEMCS: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies, 50 technical science in general, 55 traffic technology, transport technology, 70 social sciences in general |
| Programme: | Interaction Technology MSc (60030) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106327 |
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