Comparing Dashboard and Virtual Reality Wizard-of-Oz Setups In a Human-Robot Conversational Task
Keywords: VR, XR, Wizard-of-Oz, Teleoperation, Social Robotics
TL;DR: VR headset mediated teleoperation of robots is socially immersive and preferred over dashboard setups.
Abstract: This paper explores the potential of using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to teleoperate social robots. A novel Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) system using a VR headset is compared to a more traditional dashboard system in a conversational task. Participants held two conversations with a Furhat robot operated by each of the WoZ systems. Our pilot study evaluates how these two methods of operating social robots may affect the user’s perception of the interaction. Results show that while both systems were perceived as autonomous, the VR system was preferred by the participants. It was rated as more enjoyable and socially immersive, and the robot’s features were rated as more appropriate. Our findings suggest that VR-mediated WoZ systems can provide highly naturalistic and spontaneous data in human-robot communicative settings.
Submission Number: 4
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