All robots are not created equal

Abstract

This paper presents design research conducted as part of a larger project on human-robot interaction. The primary goal of this study was to come to an initial understanding of what features and dimensions of a humanoid robot's face most dramatically contribute to people's perception of its humanness. To answer this question we analyzed 48 robots and conducted surveys to measure people's perception of each robot's humanness. Through our research we found that the presence of certain features, the dimensions of the head, and the total number of facial features heavily influence the perception of humanness in robot heads. This paper presents our findings and initial guidelines for the design of humanoid robot heads.