This study addresses the challenge of ensuring pedestrian safety in shared spaces during human-robot interactions. As mobile robots become increasingly integrated into public environments, there is a need to better understand how pedestrians perceive robots in proximity. This research explores the effects of robot lateral distance, robot velocity, and pedestrian state on pedestrian perception, with a particular focus on proximity zones during human-robot interactions. Conducted in a virtual reality environment with a within-subject design, the study measured perceived danger through button presses and visualized proximity zones using contour density plots. Findings reveal that increasing lateral distance significantly decreases button press likelihood, particularly beyond 160 cm. Robot velocities of 1 mls and 1.5 mls showed no significant difference, suggesting pedestrians perceive them similarly due to their alignment with average walking speed. Proximity zones were consistently wider and denser on the left than the right, highlighting spatial asymmetry in perception. These results provide quantitative and visual insights for designing mobile robots in shared spaces. Future research should examine environmental and group dynamics and robot design to enhance safety and public acceptance in human-robot interactions.

Enhancing the user experience of in-vehicle infotainment system (IVIS) GUIs has gained importance in the vehicle industry. However, there are no studies on the effects of animated transitions in an IVIS screen. We investigated the effects of animated transitions on the perceived duration, delay time, and satisfaction of IVISs. Forty participants divided into two groups (Slide and Fade) performed touch tasks to experience different transition effects and evaluate each condition. The transitions were manipulated considering transition type (NS, Split-R, Split-M), easing type (Ease-out, Ease-In), and interval time (0, 150, 300, 450, 600 ms). An analysis indicated that Split-R (fade-fade) in the Fade group and Split-M (fade-slide) in the Slide group best satisfied users. Post-interviews revealed that the interval time should not exceed 450 ms, while an appropriate interval (150 ms) is necessary to enhance the user’s visual perception and satisfaction. Our results may provide effective guidelines for designing animated transitions in IVIS.

This study aims to investigate the effects of edge displays on smartphone usage in one-hand-only use scenarios and identify issues related to touch errors. Experiments were conducted by recreating typical usage environments to mimic the use of phones in cafeterias, homes, and mobile settings. A framework to analyze smartphone usage and human errors was developed. We collected data on the usage errors and use cases through a head-mounted camera donned by participants and a screen-recording application. The results showed that the number of incidents involving unintentional touching of screen edges for edge-screen smartphones is five times higher than that for typical flat smartphones. Moreover, the lying down position is more susceptible to errors for both types of smartphones. These results indicate the necessity of design strategies to reduce unrelated touching of screen edges and the importance of considering various body postures to elucidate a better understanding of smartphone usage.