PsHRI | Chris Yee WONG, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Robot-to-Human Grasping

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

During interactions between a human and a robot, there may be a time when a robot must purposefully come into contact or grasp human (e.g., a robot grasps a human’s hand to physically guide them to perform a task, to teach a motion, or to provide stability and support). Depending on how the robot grasps the human (e.g., grasp location, orientation, force, and open/closed grip), different grasp types may elicit different emotional responses from the human. The goal of the project is to investigate what robot-to-human (R2H) contact/grasp factors affect the perceived safety and comfort of the interaction and how it differs from the similar human-to-human (H2H) contact/grasping.

Robots in Retail

Mon, 01 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The goal of this project is to explore how robots can be used in retail spaces to assist shoppers, especially those that may have visual or mobility impairments. Through discussion with our , we discovered many misconceptions surrounding the blind and visually impaired (BVI) population. These misconceptions drive misinformed research into robotic assistants that are misaligned with the unmet needs of the BVI population and are an inefficient use of precious resources. Our current work discusses as well as the potential for .

Comfort in psHRI

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Users must feel comfortable when interacting with robots prior to mass adoption. This early-stage project involves examining several factors that may involve interactions between robots and humans.

For example, how does humanoid robot form impact user comfort during psHRI? Particularly with the goal of successful ageing in mind, are there factors that are specific to the elderly population?

By comparing participant microbehaviours, physiological signals, and questionnaire answers when performing the same task with different robots, we hope to determine if certain humanoid robot features affect user comfort in order to guide future robotic assistant designs.