Project homeIDP: Group 4: walking a route
Design problem: The HR has to monitor of the PwD is staying on route while engaging in smalltalk.
Design solution: In this design pattern, the HR monitors the route through its sonar sensor and kindly correts the PwD if they go off route. Furthermore they will ask simple questions about the weather and environment and respond accurately to the PwD.
Use when: Walking in the garden
Design rationale:
- Persuasiveness of Conversational Agents
- Types of Explanations
- Motivation and Dementia
- Perception of Robot's Emotions
- During the Walk
Example: In our use case (i.e. "activity" as specified by group 4 of the SCE-course in 2023), Pepper and the PwD walk side-by-side with Pepper adjusting to the PwD's tempo. In case the PwD goes off route, Pepper says "please follow me to stay on route" and goes in front. Afterwards they go side by side again. While walking, Pepper asks questions like "What do you t think of the weather today?" and "Do you like the plants in the garden?" For detail on the parameter setting, see the Table below (WIP).
To do: read literature about appearance of HR
| Parameter | Choice | Rationale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gesture Openness | Open | Makes the interaction less formal so that the PwD can familiarize themself better with Pepper. | |
| Gaze Diversion | Directed | Pepper will look at the PwD in question so they will feel personally approached. | |
| Proxemic Closeness | Close | Close to make a more personal interaction. | |
| Voice | Pitch | Middle | A high pitch makes Pepper sound friendly but it should not be too high otherwise the PwD might not be able to hear Pepper well. |
| Speed | Slower than average | Since the PwD are old, a low speech rate will help them understand Pepper better but it should not be too sow otherwise, they will be bored. | |
| Prosody | Strong | The prosody of the voice should be strong so that Pepper can articulate better. | |
| Speech Acts | Informal | An informal tone makes the interaction more comfortable for the participants. | |
| Eye Color | White | The eyes should be white so as to not distract the PwD. | |