Social Robotics and Human–Robot Interaction (HRI)

Vocabulary terms covering the fundamental concepts, modalities, cognitive aspects, and evaluation metrics of Social Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction based on the lecture material.

Social Robotics

The branch of robotics concerned with designing robots that can interact socially with humans using sensors, perception systems, and artificial intelligence.

Human–Robot Interaction (HRI)

A multidisciplinary field studying how humans and robots communicate, collaborate, and coexist, integrating robotics, AI, psychology, sociology, and design.

Humanoids

Robot embodiments, such as Pepper or NAO, that are socially expressive and capable of gestures and emotion simulation.

Shared Autonomy

A system of interaction design that combines human input and robot control.

HRI Modalities

The different ways humans and robots communicate, perceive, and respond to each other, such as verbal, non-verbal, or physical interaction.

Physical Interaction

Direct contact or proximity-based interaction, such as collaborative robots guiding or assisting in tasks.

Non-verbal Communication

Interaction without words, using gestures, facial expressions, body posture, or gaze.

Multimodal Interaction

The integration of multiple communication channels, such as a robot recognizing a human pointing while receiving a voice command.

Social Cues

Signals used in communication that convey intentions, emotions, and attention, including gaze, gestures, and facial expressions.

Prosody

Variation in pitch, volume, speed, and intonation in robot speech used to convey emotions like happiness or urgency.

Human Mental Models

The representation humans have of how a robot works or behaves, helping them predict robot actions and facilitate trust.

Robot Cognitive Models

Internal models that robots use to predict human behavior and plan responses in dynamic environments.

Theory of Mind in Robots

The ability of robots to infer human intentions, beliefs, goals, and emotions to support proactive assistance.

Cognitive Workload Awareness

The process where robots assess human mental workload to adjust the speed or complexity of interaction to avoid overwhelming the user.

Collaborative HRI

Scenarios where humans and robots engage in joint activities, sharing goals, responsibilities, and resources.

Cobots (Collaborative Robots)

Robots designed with safety features like force/torque sensors and compliant actuators to enable physical collaboration without protective barriers.

Dynamic Allocation

An approach where task assignments change in real time based on human workload, robot state, or environmental conditions.

Usability Metrics

Quantitative and qualitative measures of how easily humans can interact with robots and accomplish tasks.

Performance & Efficiency Metrics

Measures used to evaluate how effectively human-robot teams accomplish tasks, often comparing time to complete tasks with and without robot assistance.

Safety Metrics

Evaluation criteria used to assess the risk of harm in physical and social interactions, such as robot response to a human entering its workspace.