Directing human attention with pointing

Xun Wang; Mary Anne Williams; Peter Gärdenfors; Jonathan Vitale; Shaukat Abidi; Benjamin Johnston; Benjamin Kuipers; Alan Huang

doi:10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249

Directing human attention with pointing

Xun Wang, Mary Anne Williams, Peter Gärdenfors, Jonathan Vitale, Shaukat Abidi, Benjamin Johnston, Benjamin Kuipers, Alan Huang

Cognitive Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Paper in conference proceeding › peer-review

Abstract

Pointing is a typical means of directing a human's attention to a specific object or event. Robot pointing behaviours that direct the attention of humans are critical for human-robot interaction, communication and collaboration. In this paper, we describe an experiment undertaken to investigate human comprehension of a humanoid robot's pointing behaviour. We programmed a NAO robot to point to markers on a large screen and asked untrained human subjects to identify the target of the robots pointing gesture. We found that humans are able to identify robot pointing gestures. Human subjects achieved higher levels of comprehension when the robot pointed at objects closer to the gesturing arm and when they stood behind the robot. In addition, we found that subjects performance improved with each assessment task. These new results can be used to guide the design of effective robot pointing behaviours that enable more effective robot to human communication and improve human-robot collaborative performance.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication
Subtitle of host publication	Human-Robot Co-Existence: Adaptive Interfaces and Systems for Daily Life, Therapy, Assistance and Socially Engaging Interactions
Editors	Selma Sabanovic, Rui Loureiro, Yukie Nagai, Aris Alissandrakis, Adriana Tapus, Fumihide Tanaka
Publisher	IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages	174-179
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9781479967636
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249
Publication status	Published - 2014 Jan 1
Event	23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom Duration: 2014 Aug 25 → 2014 Aug 29

Conference

Conference	23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, IEEE RO-MAN 2014
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Edinburgh
Period	2014/08/25 → 2014/08/29

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Human Computer Interaction

Access to Document

10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249

Cite this

Wang, X., Williams, M. A., Gärdenfors, P., Vitale, J., Abidi, S., Johnston, B., Kuipers, B., & Huang, A. (2014). Directing human attention with pointing. In S. Sabanovic, R. Loureiro, Y. Nagai, A. Alissandrakis, A. Tapus, & F. Tanaka (Eds.), IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication: Human-Robot Co-Existence: Adaptive Interfaces and Systems for Daily Life, Therapy, Assistance and Socially Engaging Interactions (pp. 174-179). Article 6926249 IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249

Wang, Xun ; Williams, Mary Anne ; Gärdenfors, Peter et al. / Directing human attention with pointing. IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication: Human-Robot Co-Existence: Adaptive Interfaces and Systems for Daily Life, Therapy, Assistance and Socially Engaging Interactions. editor / Selma Sabanovic ; Rui Loureiro ; Yukie Nagai ; Aris Alissandrakis ; Adriana Tapus ; Fumihide Tanaka. IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2014. pp. 174-179

@inproceedings{7f3a14c74da6417d8cd881dadd28488e,

title = "Directing human attention with pointing",

abstract = "Pointing is a typical means of directing a human's attention to a specific object or event. Robot pointing behaviours that direct the attention of humans are critical for human-robot interaction, communication and collaboration. In this paper, we describe an experiment undertaken to investigate human comprehension of a humanoid robot's pointing behaviour. We programmed a NAO robot to point to markers on a large screen and asked untrained human subjects to identify the target of the robots pointing gesture. We found that humans are able to identify robot pointing gestures. Human subjects achieved higher levels of comprehension when the robot pointed at objects closer to the gesturing arm and when they stood behind the robot. In addition, we found that subjects performance improved with each assessment task. These new results can be used to guide the design of effective robot pointing behaviours that enable more effective robot to human communication and improve human-robot collaborative performance.",

author = "Xun Wang and Williams, {Mary Anne} and Peter G{\"a}rdenfors and Jonathan Vitale and Shaukat Abidi and Benjamin Johnston and Benjamin Kuipers and Alan Huang",

year = "2014",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249",

language = "English",

pages = "174--179",

editor = "Selma Sabanovic and Rui Loureiro and Yukie Nagai and Aris Alissandrakis and Adriana Tapus and Fumihide Tanaka",

booktitle = "IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication",

publisher = "IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

address = "United States",

note = "23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, IEEE RO-MAN 2014 ; Conference date: 25-08-2014 Through 29-08-2014",

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Wang, X, Williams, MA, Gärdenfors, P, Vitale, J, Abidi, S, Johnston, B, Kuipers, B & Huang, A 2014, Directing human attention with pointing. in S Sabanovic, R Loureiro, Y Nagai, A Alissandrakis, A Tapus & F Tanaka (eds), IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication: Human-Robot Co-Existence: Adaptive Interfaces and Systems for Daily Life, Therapy, Assistance and Socially Engaging Interactions., 6926249, IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 174-179, 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, IEEE RO-MAN 2014, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2014/08/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249

Directing human attention with pointing. / Wang, Xun; Williams, Mary Anne; Gärdenfors, Peter et al.
IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication: Human-Robot Co-Existence: Adaptive Interfaces and Systems for Daily Life, Therapy, Assistance and Socially Engaging Interactions. ed. / Selma Sabanovic; Rui Loureiro; Yukie Nagai; Aris Alissandrakis; Adriana Tapus; Fumihide Tanaka. IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2014. p. 174-179 6926249.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Paper in conference proceeding › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Directing human attention with pointing

AU - Wang, Xun

AU - Williams, Mary Anne

AU - Gärdenfors, Peter

AU - Vitale, Jonathan

AU - Abidi, Shaukat

AU - Johnston, Benjamin

AU - Kuipers, Benjamin

AU - Huang, Alan

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - Pointing is a typical means of directing a human's attention to a specific object or event. Robot pointing behaviours that direct the attention of humans are critical for human-robot interaction, communication and collaboration. In this paper, we describe an experiment undertaken to investigate human comprehension of a humanoid robot's pointing behaviour. We programmed a NAO robot to point to markers on a large screen and asked untrained human subjects to identify the target of the robots pointing gesture. We found that humans are able to identify robot pointing gestures. Human subjects achieved higher levels of comprehension when the robot pointed at objects closer to the gesturing arm and when they stood behind the robot. In addition, we found that subjects performance improved with each assessment task. These new results can be used to guide the design of effective robot pointing behaviours that enable more effective robot to human communication and improve human-robot collaborative performance.

AB - Pointing is a typical means of directing a human's attention to a specific object or event. Robot pointing behaviours that direct the attention of humans are critical for human-robot interaction, communication and collaboration. In this paper, we describe an experiment undertaken to investigate human comprehension of a humanoid robot's pointing behaviour. We programmed a NAO robot to point to markers on a large screen and asked untrained human subjects to identify the target of the robots pointing gesture. We found that humans are able to identify robot pointing gestures. Human subjects achieved higher levels of comprehension when the robot pointed at objects closer to the gesturing arm and when they stood behind the robot. In addition, we found that subjects performance improved with each assessment task. These new results can be used to guide the design of effective robot pointing behaviours that enable more effective robot to human communication and improve human-robot collaborative performance.

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DO - 10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249

M3 - Paper in conference proceeding

AN - SCOPUS:84937550681

SP - 174

EP - 179

BT - IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication

A2 - Sabanovic, Selma

A2 - Loureiro, Rui

A2 - Nagai, Yukie

A2 - Alissandrakis, Aris

A2 - Tapus, Adriana

A2 - Tanaka, Fumihide

PB - IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

T2 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, IEEE RO-MAN 2014

Y2 - 25 August 2014 through 29 August 2014

ER -

Wang X, Williams MA, Gärdenfors P, Vitale J, Abidi S, Johnston B et al. Directing human attention with pointing. In Sabanovic S, Loureiro R, Nagai Y, Alissandrakis A, Tapus A, Tanaka F, editors, IEEE RO-MAN 2014 - 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication: Human-Robot Co-Existence: Adaptive Interfaces and Systems for Daily Life, Therapy, Assistance and Socially Engaging Interactions. IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2014. p. 174-179. 6926249 doi: 10.1109/ROMAN.2014.6926249

Directing human attention with pointing

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