Development of an Online Task to Investigate Human—Robot Proxemics: A UK-Japan Cross-Cultural Pilot Study
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Research on interpersonal distances, known as proxemics, suggests that the nature of our relationships is often reflected in the distance at which interaction partners feel comfortable and safe. Interpersonal distance is also known to be influenced by demographic and cultural factors. However, these factors have not been well studied in the context of human-robot interaction (HRI). We describe an online task which we developed to study proxemic preferences during HRI among Japanese and UK participants. A group of Japanese (N=48) and UK (N=44) adults watched 36 video clips of NAO robot walking towards the camera, which varied in: speed, angle of approach, camera height/eye level, or indoor vs outdoor setting. Participants stopped each video clip when NAO was at an appropriate distance to begin a conversation, deploying a "Say-when" paradigm. While Japanese participants were slower to stop the video clip, thus allowing the robot to advance further towards them, both cultural groups were quicker to stop the video for trials featuring head-on approaches. Further, head-on approaches were rated as more polite and interpersonal by both groups. Although limited within the online setup and in need of further stimuli refinement and increased statistical power, the findings may serve as a precursor to develop a robust method in future for capturing systematic variations in visually mediated robot proxemics of HRI.
Source: IEEE RO-MAN
Authors: Maki Rooksby, Yumiko Muto, Emily S. Cross
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Macquarie University
OpenAlex ID: W7204618281