Shaping Acceptance: The Role of Design and Context in Human – Robot Dog Interaction

The integration of robots into contemporary society is advancing at full speed, and social and
cultural aspects play a role in shaping the acceptance and adaptation of them. This requires attention to
the personalization and design of robot interaction, and drive for enhanced user experience (UX) in humanrobot interaction and positive attitude toward robots. This paper investigates public perceptions of robots
through two user studies. The first study used focus groups and began with a demonstration of a robot dog,
followed by participants viewing five scenarios featuring the robot. Participants shared their observations
and associations about the robot dog in various environments and engaged in an ideation task to suggest
improvements for acceptability through customization. The second study involved interviews that focused
on the customization of the robot dog, probing participants' acceptance in the same scenarios as the first
study. Key findings indicate that the robot dog's design, particularly dog-like features such as eyes, ears,
and tail, can greatly affect its approachability and acceptance. The study also discusses the impact of
different environments on the robot’s perceived appropriateness and expected tasks. To consolidate these
insights, a model is proposed illustrating how context, design, and social interactions collectively influence
the acceptability of a robot dog in specific scenarios. This study guides designing robots intended for public
tasks.