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UX Research is not Market Research

Designing our future overlords or:

how I learned to stop worrying and love robotics.

Jon-Eric Steinbomer, Director of ResearchUXPA - ATX

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC2

Jon-Eric Steinbomer, Director of ResearchUXPA - ATX

Anthony Daniels

Man in a suit(not the droid we’re looking for)

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC3

what is a “robot”?a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, esp. one programmable by a computer.

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC4

Types of Robots

Military - Atlas Medical - Da Vinci

Industrial - Kiva Systems/Amazon

http://vimeo.com/76017557

http://vimeo.com/76017593

http://vimeo.com/76017562

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC5

Space - Mars Rover

Rescue - Toshiba

Space - Mars Rover

Enhancement - Cyberdyne

Industrial - Automotive

Types of Robots, cont.

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC6

Types of Robots, cont.

Consumer - Roomba

Consumer (almost) - Qbo Consumer - NAO Business - Telepresence

Assistive Medical - RIBA

http://vimeo.com/76017602

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC7

The consumer robotics market is currently at about $1.6 billion.

By 2017, this market is forecast to reach 6.5 billion.

Source: ABI Research’s Consumer Electronics Research Service

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC8

“Robots will be the next world-changing technology....

there will be a robot in every home.”

Bill Gates - 4/2013

Kiva Systems,

iRobot, Heartland Robotics SiriGlass, Self-driving cars

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC9

JapanBoston

Bay Area

Where is the robot action?

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC10

Japanese robots

Kirobo Ubiko

Paro ASIMO

http://vimeo.com/76017549

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC11

Boston/Bay robots

Vgo

Roomba Scooba

mobi

Nao (Paris/Boston)

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So where does UX fit in?

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC13

Robotics UX Research Currently academic/institutional focus:Human Robotic Interaction (HRI)

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC14

Robotics UX Research in Practice

“fundamentals” research can be conducted in a lab:• expressions• voice and gesture UI design

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC15

Robotics UX Research in Practice, cont.

In-context research needs to be on location - home, office, etc.• Environmental factors (sun, noise, stairs, etc.)• Still novel• Multiple users (maybe all talking at once)

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC16

Robotics UX Research, cont.

• Trust• Emotional response and connection• Expressions (red = warning)

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC17

Hiroshi Ishiguro

Robotics UX Design - into the valley

http://vimeo.com/76017606 http://vimeo.com/76017588

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC18

Robotics UX Design - into the valley

When human features look and move almost, but not exactly, like natural human beings, it causes a response of revulsion among human observers.

The uncanny valley is the region of negative emotional response towards robots that seem "almost human". Movement amplifies the emotional response.

Masahiro Mori, 1970

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC19

Robotics UX Design Factors to Consider

• Emotion• Anthropomorphism• Interaction modes (gesture, sound,

touch)• Noise (from the robot and the

environment)• Portability• Safety• Ethics

| © 2013 Progress UX LLC

@ProgressUX

www.experienceprogress.com

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What’s next?