As robotic gadgets, and eventually robots, become increasingly common in daily life, it is critical that roboticists design devices that are accepted by diverse users. This collaboration between DePauw University in the United States and Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan will lead to a deeper understanding of the role that cuteness plays in fostering positive human response to, and acceptance of, robotic gadgets. Building on research related to the Japanese concept of kawaii (Japanese cuteness), this project involves designing prototypes of robotic gadgets with varying levels and types of cuteness, and conducting multi-site, cross-cultural user studies that evaluate user?s reactions to varied designs. A long-term goal of this research is to deepen our understanding of how designers can use the concept of kawaii to build robotic gadgets that are accepted by diverse users.
The project provides educational and research experiences, at the individual and cohort level, for a diverse group of twelve students comprised of four undergraduates participating in each of three summers. Before departing for Japan, students will complete cultural and technical preparatory activities led collaboratively by two DePauw faculty members with remote contributions from three Shibaura Institute of Technology faculty members. Each student will then conduct research for seven weeks at Shibaura Institute of Technology under the primary mentorship of the Shibaura faculty members with supplemental remote and on-site mentorship from the DePauw faculty members. In addition to informing inclusive design practices for robotic gadgets, the project will serve as a catalyst for ongoing collaborations between DePauw University and Shibaura Institute of Technology.
The concept of kawaii (Japanese cuteness) is considered an essential element of Japanese design and is commonly seen in both low-tech and high-tech products including robots and robotic gadgets. Increasingly, kawaii is incorporated into successful products that are used globally. An object?s kawaii-ness is an important part of its affect, which may influence a user?s likability and acceptance of the object. Previous publications by the project team and others have investigated several aspects of kawaii in simple static objects, including analysis across cultures and genders. Other researches have evaluated various affective properties of robots. Building on prior work, the DePauw-Shibaura collaboration will investigate cross-cultural and gender differences related to perceptions of kawaii, specifically in robotic gadgets, with the aim of understanding how to design devices that are accepted by diverse users.
Each student will work on a project that involves designing and prototyping several versions (with varying degrees and types of kawaii-ness) of a domain-specific robotic gadget, and then conducting one or more experiments from a user-study suite that measures a user?s emotional reaction to the gadgets using measurements obtained through self-reports and/or biosensors. We will gather data from subjects in both Japan and the United States, which will allow us to compare user reactions across both culture and gender.
One challenge in running a cross-cultural, multi-site user study involving prototypes of robotic gadgets involves replicability. It is difficult to build several identical prototypes for use at different sites and even more difficult to build several versions of each prototype that incorporate different kawaii properties. Therefore, we will explore the use of traditional video, as well as stereoscopic 3D video, to record each prototype and to present the prototype consistently to users at different sites.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
