Exploring the Use of Robots for Diary Studies

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Xu, Michael F., Mutlu, Bilge
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Xu, Michael F.
Mutlu, Bilge
author_facet Xu, Michael F.
Mutlu, Bilge
contents As interest in studying in-the-wild human-robot interaction grows, there is a need for methods to collect data over time and in naturalistic or potentially private environments. HRI researchers have increasingly used the diary method for these studies, asking study participants to self-administer a structured data collection instrument, i.e., a diary, over a period of time. Although the diary method offers a unique window into settings that researchers may not have access to, they also lack the interactivity and probing that interview-based methods offer. In this paper, we explore a novel data collection method in which a robot plays the role of an interactive diary. We developed the Diary Robot system and performed in-home deployments for a week to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach. Using traditional text-based and audio-based diaries as benchmarks, we found that robots are able to effectively elicit the intended information. We reflect on our findings, and describe scenarios where the utilization of robots in diary studies as a data collection instrument may be especially applicable.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_04860
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Exploring the Use of Robots for Diary Studies
Xu, Michael F.
Mutlu, Bilge
Robotics
Human-Computer Interaction
As interest in studying in-the-wild human-robot interaction grows, there is a need for methods to collect data over time and in naturalistic or potentially private environments. HRI researchers have increasingly used the diary method for these studies, asking study participants to self-administer a structured data collection instrument, i.e., a diary, over a period of time. Although the diary method offers a unique window into settings that researchers may not have access to, they also lack the interactivity and probing that interview-based methods offer. In this paper, we explore a novel data collection method in which a robot plays the role of an interactive diary. We developed the Diary Robot system and performed in-home deployments for a week to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach. Using traditional text-based and audio-based diaries as benchmarks, we found that robots are able to effectively elicit the intended information. We reflect on our findings, and describe scenarios where the utilization of robots in diary studies as a data collection instrument may be especially applicable.
title Exploring the Use of Robots for Diary Studies
topic Robotics
Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.04860