Robot embodiment, operator modality, and social interaction in tele-existence: A project outline

This paper outlines our ongoing project, which aims to investigate the effects of robot embodiment and operator modality on an operator´s task efficiency and concomitant level of copresence in remote social interaction. After a brief introduction to related work has been given, five research questions are presented. We discuss how these relate to our choice of the two robotic embodiments “DARYL” and “Geminoid F” and the two operator modalities “console interface” and “head-mounted display”. Finally, we postulate that the usefulness of one operator modality over the other will depend on the type of situation an operator has to deal with. This hypothesis is currently being investigated empirically using DARYL at Freiburg University.