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Enterprise AI Analysis: SensHRPS: Sensing Comfortable Human-Robot Proxemics and Personal Space With Eye-Tracking

AI RESEARCH PAPER ANALYSIS

Optimizing Human-Robot Interaction Through Physiological Sensing

This paper explores the use of eye-tracking to estimate user comfort in human-robot interactions, specifically with the highly anthropomorphic robot "Ameca".

Social robots must adapt to human proxemic norms to ensure user comfort and engagement. While eye-tracking features are known to estimate comfort in human-human interactions, their application to human-robot interactions (HRI) remains underexplored. This study investigates comfort with the robot "Ameca" at various distances (0.5 m to 2.0 m) using mobile eye-tracking and subjective reporting from 19 participants.

We evaluated multiple machine learning and deep learning models to estimate comfort based on gaze features. Contrary to prior human-human studies where Transformer models excelled, a Decision Tree classifier achieved the highest performance (F1-score = 0.73), with minimum pupil diameter identified as the most critical predictor. These findings suggest that physiological comfort thresholds in human-robot interaction differ from human-human dynamics and can be effectively modeled using interpretable logic, providing a foundation for proxemic-aware robots.

Executive Impact: Key Findings for Enterprise AI

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0.73 Decision Tree F1-Score
19 Participants
0.5m Closest Distance Tested
1 Critical Gaze Feature

Deep Analysis & Enterprise Applications

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This tab details the experimental setup, data collection, and processing techniques used in the study.

Enterprise Process Flow

Deploy Ameca Robot
Conduct Conversations at Varied Distances
Collect Eye-Tracking Data & Subjective Reports
Preprocess Data & Label Comfort (≥8 = Comfortable)
Train ML/DL Models
Identify Key Gaze Features for Comfort Prediction
Inform Adaptive Robot Behaviors

Explore the comparative performance of various models and the identification of key physiological predictors.

Key Performance Metric

0.73 F1-Score for Comfort Prediction (Decision Tree)

The Decision Tree classifier achieved the highest F1-score, outperforming complex deep learning models and suggesting that comfort in HRI can be predicted using interpretable logic. This is a significant finding given previous human-human studies favored Transformer models.

Model Performance Comparison

Model Accuracy Precision Recall F1 Score
SVM0.53950.55530.55970.5355
DT0.6710.7730.6940.731
RF0.53950.66670.57140.6154
VGG160.56580.68180.61220.6452
MN0.50000.64860.48980.5581
MNV20.51320.63640.57140.6022
MNV30.47370.59570.57140.5833
Transformer0.52630.68570.48980.5714
The Decision Tree classifier significantly outperformed other models, including deep learning architectures like Transformer, in predicting user comfort during HRI. This contrasts with previous findings in human-human interaction studies.

Key Physiological Predictor

Min Pupil Diameter Most Critical Predictor of Comfort

The study identified minimum pupil diameter as the most critical physiological predictor of comfort, suggesting a direct link to the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and arousal. Pupil constriction correlates with parasympathetic dominance and lower cognitive load, indicating comfort.

Understand the broader impact of these findings for future adaptive robot behaviors and HRI design.

Adaptive HRI in Action: Enhancing User Experience

Scenario: A financial services firm wants to deploy social robots for customer greeting and basic inquiry. Initial user feedback indicates discomfort due to the robot's fixed proximity.

Solution: Leveraging the insights from SensHRPS, the firm integrates an adaptive proxemics system into their robots. This system uses real-time minimal pupil diameter monitoring to dynamically adjust the robot's distance from the customer.

Impact: Within weeks, customer satisfaction scores improve by 15%. Employees report a 20% reduction in customer complaints related to robot interaction. The adaptive system successfully prevents proxemic violations, creating a more comfortable and trustworthy environment, leading to increased customer engagement and a better brand image. The ROI is realized through improved customer loyalty and operational efficiency.

Key Metric Improved: Customer Satisfaction

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Projected Annual Savings & Efficiency Gains

Annual Cost Savings $0
Annual Hours Reclaimed 0

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