Robo-Blocks: Generative Scaffolding in End-User Design and Programming of Social Robots
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866918526749507584 |
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| author | Sato, Arissa J. Kim, Callie Y. White, Nathan Thomas Maneesh, Abhinav Wang, Yuqing Ho, Hui-Ru Mutlu, Bilge |
| author_facet | Sato, Arissa J. Kim, Callie Y. White, Nathan Thomas Maneesh, Abhinav Wang, Yuqing Ho, Hui-Ru Mutlu, Bilge |
| contents | Programming social robots is challenging for novice robot programmers due to required expertise in planning, interaction design, and programming. While large language models (LLMs) hold significant promise through code generation from natural-language descriptions, they can obscure critical elements of programming and supplant designer intent, eventually resulting in over-reliance instead of developing programming skills. In this paper, we explore how LLM-based social-robot-programming tools can support novice robot programmers through a Research through Design (RtD) process. We designed and prototyped Robo-Blocks, a block-based programming environment that leverages LLMs to offer novice robot programmers generative scaffolding through structured narratives that connect high-level ideas to executable robot behaviors. Through deployment with novices, we discovered emerging user personas and usage patterns for generative scaffolding and showed how this scaffolding shapes end-user design and programming strategies. We present design insights for the effective use of generative scaffolding and its integration into the practice of social-robot programming. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_28154 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Robo-Blocks: Generative Scaffolding in End-User Design and Programming of Social Robots Sato, Arissa J. Kim, Callie Y. White, Nathan Thomas Maneesh, Abhinav Wang, Yuqing Ho, Hui-Ru Mutlu, Bilge Human-Computer Interaction Robotics Programming social robots is challenging for novice robot programmers due to required expertise in planning, interaction design, and programming. While large language models (LLMs) hold significant promise through code generation from natural-language descriptions, they can obscure critical elements of programming and supplant designer intent, eventually resulting in over-reliance instead of developing programming skills. In this paper, we explore how LLM-based social-robot-programming tools can support novice robot programmers through a Research through Design (RtD) process. We designed and prototyped Robo-Blocks, a block-based programming environment that leverages LLMs to offer novice robot programmers generative scaffolding through structured narratives that connect high-level ideas to executable robot behaviors. Through deployment with novices, we discovered emerging user personas and usage patterns for generative scaffolding and showed how this scaffolding shapes end-user design and programming strategies. We present design insights for the effective use of generative scaffolding and its integration into the practice of social-robot programming. |
| title | Robo-Blocks: Generative Scaffolding in End-User Design and Programming of Social Robots |
| topic | Human-Computer Interaction Robotics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28154 |