Proxemic Reasoning for Group Approach

Ben Wright, Magdalena D. Bugajska, William Adams, Ed Lawson, J. Malcolm McCurry, J. Gregory Trafton

Abstract: How should a robot approach a group of people? To answer this, we examine a large real-world data set of approximately 1500 individuals and find that, contrary to previous models, people do not simply approach an individual within the group. They use features of the group to determine aspects of their approach. To explain and test these features, we formalize an Approach Problem and develop several strategies of determining approach to a group. These strategies are then compared to the empirical data. One strategy performed consistent with the empirical data, which we then demonstrate on a robot platform.