Differences Human-Robot Interaction & Human-Computer Interaction

Robots are moving out of the research laboratory and into society. They have been used by military. They were used in search and rescue at the World Trade Center. Robots have been introduced as toys and household tools. Robots are also being considered for use in domains such as elder care. As robots become more a part of our society, the field of Human Robot Interaction (HRI) becomes increasingly important. To date, most interactions with robots have been by researchers in robotics, in their laboratories.

What is robot? A web search for a definition of a robot reveals several types: knowledge robots (commonly referred to as “bots”), computer software robots that continuously run and respond automatically to a user’s activity, and industrial robots. A dictionary definition of the “noun” robot is any automated machine programmed to perform specific mechanical functions in the manner of a man. It defines an intelligent robot as a mechanical creature that can function autonomously.

While a computer may be a building block of the robot, the robot differs from a computer in that it can interact in the physical world by moving around and by changing aspects of the physical world.

It follows that human-robot interaction is fundamentally different from typical human-computer interaction (HCI). HRI differs from HCI and Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) because it concerns systems that have complex, dynamic control systems, exhibit autonomy and cognition, and operate in changing, real world environments. In addition, differences occur in the types of interactions; the physical nature of robots; the number of systems a user may interact with simultaneously; the degree of autonomy of the robot; and the environment in which the interactions occur.