Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance

We investigated the influence of visual sensitivity on the performance of an imitation task with the robot R1 in its virtual and physical forms. Virtual and physical embodiments offer different sensory experience to the users. As all individuals respond differently to their sensory environment, thei...

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Main Authors: Chevalier Pauline, Vasco Valentina, Willemse Cesco, De Tommaso Davide, Tikhanoff Vadim, Pattacini Ugo, Wykowska Agnieszka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2021-02-01
Series:Paladyn
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/pjbr-2021-0014
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author Chevalier Pauline
Vasco Valentina
Willemse Cesco
De Tommaso Davide
Tikhanoff Vadim
Pattacini Ugo
Wykowska Agnieszka
author_facet Chevalier Pauline
Vasco Valentina
Willemse Cesco
De Tommaso Davide
Tikhanoff Vadim
Pattacini Ugo
Wykowska Agnieszka
author_sort Chevalier Pauline
collection DOAJ
description We investigated the influence of visual sensitivity on the performance of an imitation task with the robot R1 in its virtual and physical forms. Virtual and physical embodiments offer different sensory experience to the users. As all individuals respond differently to their sensory environment, their sensory sensitivity may play a role in the interaction with a robot. Investigating how sensory sensitivity can influence the interactions appears to be a helpful tool to evaluate and design such interactions. Here we asked 16 participants to perform an imitation task, with a virtual and a physical robot under conditions of full and occluded visibility, and to report the strategy they used to perform this task. We asked them to complete the Sensory Perception Quotient questionnaire. Sensory sensitivity in vision predicted the participants’ performance in imitating the robot’s upper limb movements. From the self-report questionnaire, we observed that the participants relied more on visual sensory cues to perform the task with the physical robot than on the virtual robot. From these results, we propose that a physical embodiment enables the user to invest a lower cognitive effort when performing an imitation task over a virtual embodiment. The results presented here are encouraging that following this line of research is suitable to improve and evaluate the effects of the physical and virtual embodiment of robots for applications in healthy and clinical settings.
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spelling doaj.art-f23cbfce46694aa790ee138cbda3d61d2023-10-02T02:23:30ZengDe GruyterPaladyn2081-48362021-02-0112119921310.1515/pjbr-2021-0014Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performanceChevalier Pauline0Vasco Valentina1Willemse Cesco2De Tommaso Davide3Tikhanoff Vadim4Pattacini Ugo5Wykowska Agnieszka6Social Cognition in Human-Robot Interaction, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16152, ItalyiCub, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16163, ItalySocial Cognition in Human-Robot Interaction, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16152, ItalySocial Cognition in Human-Robot Interaction, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16152, ItalyiCub, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16163, ItalyiCub, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16163, ItalySocial Cognition in Human-Robot Interaction, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, 16152, ItalyWe investigated the influence of visual sensitivity on the performance of an imitation task with the robot R1 in its virtual and physical forms. Virtual and physical embodiments offer different sensory experience to the users. As all individuals respond differently to their sensory environment, their sensory sensitivity may play a role in the interaction with a robot. Investigating how sensory sensitivity can influence the interactions appears to be a helpful tool to evaluate and design such interactions. Here we asked 16 participants to perform an imitation task, with a virtual and a physical robot under conditions of full and occluded visibility, and to report the strategy they used to perform this task. We asked them to complete the Sensory Perception Quotient questionnaire. Sensory sensitivity in vision predicted the participants’ performance in imitating the robot’s upper limb movements. From the self-report questionnaire, we observed that the participants relied more on visual sensory cues to perform the task with the physical robot than on the virtual robot. From these results, we propose that a physical embodiment enables the user to invest a lower cognitive effort when performing an imitation task over a virtual embodiment. The results presented here are encouraging that following this line of research is suitable to improve and evaluate the effects of the physical and virtual embodiment of robots for applications in healthy and clinical settings.https://doi.org/10.1515/pjbr-2021-0014socially assistive robotvirtual agentsensory sensitivityrehabilitation
spellingShingle Chevalier Pauline
Vasco Valentina
Willemse Cesco
De Tommaso Davide
Tikhanoff Vadim
Pattacini Ugo
Wykowska Agnieszka
Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance
Paladyn
socially assistive robot
virtual agent
sensory sensitivity
rehabilitation
title Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance
title_full Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance
title_fullStr Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance
title_full_unstemmed Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance
title_short Upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots: Visual sensitivity affects task performance
title_sort upper limb exercise with physical and virtual robots visual sensitivity affects task performance
topic socially assistive robot
virtual agent
sensory sensitivity
rehabilitation
url https://doi.org/10.1515/pjbr-2021-0014
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