Social Robot for Hybrid Meeting Engagement
This project explores how robot-mediated communication can enhance the presence of remote participants in hybrid group discussions. We designed two types of telepresence robots: Buzzo, a minimal motion-based presence bot, and Eureka, a socially expressive robot capable of emotional gestures. Through two field studies involving classroom and conference settings, the research examines how physical embodiment, social signaling, and spatial positioning influence the integration, perceived presence, and participation equity of remote users. The results suggest that expressive robots like Eureka significantly enhance engagement, making remote participants feel more “present” in hybrid interactions.
Zhao, Z.; Chen, Y.; ; Ma, S.; Li, H.; Guo, Y.; Mi, H. (2023). “Buzzo or Eureka—Robot that Makes Remote Participants Feel More Presence in Hybrid Discussions.” In Companion of the 2023 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI ’23 Companion), 323–327.
Ma, S.; ; Chen, Y.; Zhao, Z.; Li, H. (2023). “Social bots that bring a strong presence to remote participants in hybrid meetings.” In Companion of HRI ’23, ACM, 853–856. DOI: 10.1145/3568294.3580200.
- Robot behavioral design and prototyping
- Coordination and execution of user studies
- Qualitative video analysis
- Co-authored both publications
