Deployment of Robotic Guides in Museum Contexts

Abstract

Recent advances in technology have provided new ways to present information and interact with visitors in public spaces. Relevant implementations range from the simple utilization of standard PCs that present minimal multimedia content to large theater halls that immerse visitors in virtual worlds or display fancy 3-D representations of exhibited items. Mobile robots provide an attractive alternative to the above, and, as technology becomes progressively available, the number of paradigms of robots in museums is steadily increasing. For this class of robots, human-like interactivity is an essential part of their functionality, aiming at correctly perceiving and understanding natural human behavior and also acting in ways that are familiar to humans using a variety of modalities. Motivated by the latest advances in mobile robots as museum tour guides, this chapter provides insight in how to develop robotic avatars with advanced navigation capabilities, vision-based tracking technologies for human--robot interaction, and personalized, choice-driven access to information in heritage sites.