Exploring the Impact of a Playing Catch Task on the Impression of Interaction with Conversational Robots

Communication robots are utilized in various conversational service fields, but it is suggested that there is a psychological barrier for users to interact with robots. In our previous study, we proposed focusing on a task performed during a conversation with a robot to create a conversational environment where the user would be willing to converse with the robot. In this paper, as a continuation of our previous study, we discuss the effects of incorporating a playful task of playing catch during conversations with a robot. Although previous research has shown that introducing a task to play catch effectively supported smooth turn-taking, it was not clear whether this effect was unique to the catch task or whether it was found in tasks that visualize conversational turns in general. Therefore, to verify the impact of the two aspects that the task of playing catch has on the motivation, enjoyment, and smoothness of an interaction with a communication robot, we conducted an experiment to compare it with a case using a simple device that only supports the visualization of turn-taking. Although the effect of improving the motivation to interact cannot be confirmed, we found that the ball exchange in the proposed task contributes to the visualization of the conversation exchange and improves both the smoothness of interaction and the sense of enjoyment for users.