A Study of Human Proxemics on Social Robot Light Effects

The social interaction capability of social robots is crucial for user experience; therefore, social robots should be kept at an appropriate distance to enhance user comfort. User experience depends on various attributes of the robot, such as emotional state, noise level, and physical appearance. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand the robot attributes that affect human-robot proximity behavior. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of robot light effects on the preference of human-robot proximity behavior including light effect position, light effect color, and light effect flashing mode. Analysis of the experimental data shows that the position and color of the robot light effect have a significant effect on the preference of human-robot proximity behavior. This result will help to design and develop light effects and human-robot proximity strategies for social robots to enhance social interaction.