Skip to main content

human-robot interaction risk analysis

What level of risk aversion is observed among humans when interacting with robots?
What are the preferred methods for human-robot interaction in crowded environments?
Which algorithms should roboticists employ to program robots for effective human interaction?
These questions were the focus of a study conducted by mechanical engineers and computer scientists at the University of California San Diego, recently presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2024 in Japan.
"This study represents the first known investigation into robots that infer human risk perception for intelligent decision-making in everyday contexts," stated Aamodh Suresh, the study's first author, who earned his Ph.D. under Professor Sonia Martinez Diaz in UC San Diego's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He now serves as a postdoctoral researcher at the U.S. Army Research Lab.
"Our goal was to develop a framework to understand human risk aversion in interactions with robots," said Angelique Taylor, the study's second author, who earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering under Professor Laurel Riek at UC San Diego. Taylor is now a faculty member at Cornell Tech in New York.
The team utilized behavioral economics models, deliberating over their selection amidst the pandemic. Consequently, researchers implemented an online experiment to ascertain the optimal model for their study.
The study involved STEM undergraduate and graduate students who participated in a simulation as Instacart shoppers. They were presented with three route options to reach the milk aisle in a grocery store, each spanning between five to 20 minutes. Certain routes exposed them to individuals infected with COVID-19, including one path featuring a severe case.
Each path also carried distinct risks of exposure to individuals with COVID-19 coughing incidents. The shortest route notably exposed participants to a higher concentration of severely ill individuals. Nevertheless, shoppers were motivated by rewards tied to expedient goal attainment.
The researchers were astonished to find a consistent underestimation in survey responses regarding individuals' readiness to risk proximity with COVID-19-infected shoppers. "When there's a reward involved, people seem more willing to take risks," remarked Suresh.
Consequently, in programming robots for human interaction, researchers opted to employ prospect theory, a behavioral economics model pioneered by Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate in economics (2002). This theory posits that individuals assess potential losses and gains relative to a reference point.

In this context, individuals tend to weigh losses more heavily than gains. For instance, participants in the study chose to receive $450 rather than taking a 50% chance to win $1100. Thus, subjects focused on obtaining a certain reward promptly rather than evaluating the potential risk of contracting COVID-19.

Researchers also queried individuals on their preferences regarding how robots should convey their intentions. Responses encompassed speech, gestures, and touch screens.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

fractal universe cosmic structure mandelbrot

Is the Universe a Fractal? Unraveling the Patterns of Nature The Cosmic Debate: Is the Universe a Fractal? For decades, cosmologists have debated whether the universe's large-scale structure exhibits fractal characteristics — appearing identical across scales. The answer is nuanced: not entirely, but in certain res pects, yes. It's a com plex matter. The Vast Universe and Its Hierarchical Structure Our universe is incredibly vast, com prising a p proximately 2 trillion galaxies. These galaxies are not distributed randomly but are organized into hierarchical structures. Small grou ps ty pically consist of u p to a dozen galaxies. Larger clusters contain thousands, while immense su perclusters extend for millions of light-years, forming intricate cosmic  patterns. Is this where the story comes to an end? Benoit Mandelbrot and the Introduction of Fractals During the mid-20th century, Benoit Mandelbrot introduced fractals to a wider audience . While he did not invent the conce pt —...
Post a Comment
Read more

Quantum neural algorithms for creating illusions

Quantum Neural Networks and Optical Illusions: A New Era for AI? Introduction At first glance, optical illusions, quantum mechanics, and neural networks may appear unrelated. However, my recent research in APL Machine Learning Leverages "quantum tunneling" to create a neural network that perceives optical illusions similarly to humans. Neural Network Performance The neural network I developed successfully replicated human perception of the Necker cube and Rubin's vase illusions, surpassing the performance of several larger, conventional neural networks in computer vision tasks. This study may offer new perspectives on the potential for AI systems to approximate human cognitive processes. Why Focus on Optical Illusions? Understanding Visual Perception O ptical illusions mani pulate our visual  perce ption,  presenting scenarios that may or may not align with reality. Investigating these illusions  provides valuable understanding of brain function and dysfunction, inc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Theory Quantum Mechanics Gravity Fifth Dimension

Quantum Theory vs Relativity: A Classical Five-Dimensional Approach to Unifying Physics Quantum mechanics and Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity stand as two towering achievements of modern science. Each has proven remarkably successful within its own territory: quantum theory governs the behaviour of particles and atoms , while general relativity explains gravity and the very fabric of space and time . Yet, after decades of intense research, physicists still lack a convincing framework that unites these two pillars into a single, coherent description of the universe . Related science coverage : Physics and cosmology updates Why Quantum Mechanics and Gravity Remain Unreconciled Most mainstream attempts assume that gravity itself must be treated as a quantum phenomenon . The late physicist Richard Feynman famously warned that accepting quantum mechanics without quantizing gravity would leave physics in serious difficulty. However, quantum theory carries unresolved ...
Post a Comment
Read more