Guide-Dog Robots: Visually Impaired Can Provide Feedback
To Optimize Guide-Dog Robots, First Listen to the Visually Impaired
Author: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Published: 2024/05/16
Publication Type: Reports & Proceedings
Contents: Summary – Introduction – Main – Related
Synopsis: Insights from guide-dog users and trainers are essential to developing robotic helpers that are effective and practical in real-world situations. When the handler trusts the dog and gives more autonomy to the dog, it’s a bit delicate. We cannot just make a robot that is fully passive, just following the handler, or just fully autonomous, because then the handler feels unsafe. The research team conducted semistructured interviews and observation sessions with 23 visually impaired dog-guide handlers and five trainers. Through thematic analysis, they distilled the current limitations of canine guide dogs, the traits handlers are looking for in an effective guide and considerations to make for future robotic guide dogs.
Introduction
What features does a robotic guide dog need?
Ask the blind, say the authors of an award-winning paper. Led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a study identifying how to develop robot guide dogs with insights from guide dog users and trainers won a Best Paper Award at CHI 2024: Conference on Human Factors [...]