An empathic robotic tutor for school classrooms: Considering expectation and satisfaction of children as end-users

Abstract

Before interacting with a futuristic technology such as a robot, there is a lot of space for the creation of a whole set of expectations towards that interaction. Once that interaction happens, users can be left with a hand full of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or even a mix of both. To study the possible role of experience as a mediator between expectation and satisfaction, we developed a scale for HRI that measures expectations and satisfaction of the users. Afterwards, we conducted a study with end-users interacting with a social robot. The robot is being developed to be an empathic robotic tutor to be used in real schools, with input from primary end-users (children). Children’s expectations and subsequent satisfaction after the interaction with the robotic tutor were analysed. The results can be fed back to the system developers on how well it is being designed for such a target population, and what factors regarding their expectation and satisfaction have shifted after the experience of interaction. By delivering on the children’s expectations, we aim to design a robotic tutor that provides enough satisfaction to sustain an enjoyable and natural interaction in the real educational environment.