Exploring Changes in Social Distance and Participant Discomfort with Virtual Robot Head and Visual Familiarity

This paper investigates whether there exist social distances when interacting with human-like or animal-like 3D models displayed stereoscopically without wearable devices. While social robots with human-like bodies offer advantages in physical communication through gestures, they may be risks of harm to humans, leading to difficulties in maintaining appropriate social distances. To address these challenges, the authors propose employing a 3D display to present virtual robots, allowing observers to perceive their movements without physical actions. The study explores participants’ impressions of virtual heads, categorized as either human-like or animal-like, through a survey conducted with 50 Japanese participants recruited via crowdsourcing. Results indicate that human-like heads were perceived as more physically present, whereas animal-like heads were deemed more familiar. These findings shed light on designing comfortable, effective long-term interactions between humans and robots, emphasizing the importance of considering appearance and approachability in social robot design. By leveraging non-verbal cues and alternative communication methods, such as virtual displays, researchers aim to enhance user experiences and optimize social interactions with robots in various settings, including homes and offices.