Evidence of the need for social intelligence in rescue robots

This study investigates data collected from operating an Inuktun robot in an urban search and rescue (USAR) confined space training exercise task at Virginia Beach Training Center. Data was collected from coding approximately one hour of video. The video had no sound so all analysis is based on the video feed. Indicators of communication, gestures, physical interactions with the robot, and robot movements were analyzed. The findings indicate that the robot emerges as a virtual presence for the support of the team outside of the confined space. The team members spontaneously responded socially to the robot despite the robot not being engineered to have a social intelligence. This confirms numerous studies in the cognitive science, psychology, and affective computing literature that robots need a social interface regards of domain.