Cognitively adequate modelling of spatial reference in human-robot interaction

The question addressed in this paper is which types of spatial reference human users employ in the interaction with a robot and how a cognitively adequat model of these strategies can be implemented. Experiments in human-robot interaction were carried out which show how human users approach an artificial communication partner which was designed on the basis of empirical findings regarding spatial references among humans. Results are considerable differences in the strategies speakers employ to achieve spatial reference in human-robot interaction and in natural communication. This work was supported partly by the Spatial Inference project of the DFG priority program on Spatial Cognition, under grant Fr 806/7-2 for Christian Freksa and partly by the BMBF under grant number 01 IV 701 F7.