Dynamic Characteristics of the Transformation of Interpersonal Distance in Cooperation

Puffy: A Mobile Inflatable Interactive Companion for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorder

“…To this end, Puffy exploits an Interactional Spatial Relationship Model ( Figure 6) which considers the following elements: (a) Interpersonal distance, measured by an embedded depth sensor and classified according to the Hall's zone system of proxemics interaction (e.g. public, social, personal, intimate [34]); the definition of the parameters for users preferred interpersonal distance can be customized according to various conditions including a child's age and the current task, e.g., as a competitive or cooperative situation [37]). Depending on the context, the kinematic behavior is interpreted both as "functional" to the current task, or as a psychological and emotional cue (e.g., "escaping from the robot" may be interpreted as an action required by the game or a signal of discomfort) (d) Child's emotional state, which is detected from the analysis of the child's voice tone [42] and facial expressions (e) Child-robot eye contact, which is again based on the analysis of the child's image; as already mentioned (section 3.1) eye contact is an important nonverbal communication behavior to express interest, attention, and trust towards a conversation partner, and is often missing in children with NDD (especially those with autism), (f) Robot's emotional state: the robot's current emotional state resulting from the Physical Manipulation by the children (see "Tangible") and from movement values.…”