Toward a Framework for Human-Robot Interaction

The goal of this article is to introduce the reader to the rich and vibrant field of robotics, in hopes of laying out an agenda for future research on human robot interaction. Robotics is a field in change; the meaning of the term “robot” today differs substantially from the term just a decade ago. The primary purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive description of past and present-day robotics. It identifies the major epochs of robotic technology and systems—from industrial to service robotics—and characterizes the different styles of human robot interaction paradigmatic for each epoch. To set an agenda for research on human robot interaction, the article articulates some of the most pressing open questions pertaining to modern-day human robot interaction.