Prevention of abuse of autonomous robots is one of the major challenges in getting robots out”in the wild The involvement of observing pedestrians of an abusive situation might be a key factor to stop abuse. We investigated how a delivery robot’s different reactions to abuse affect an observer’s situational empathy and affect towards the robot. In two studies, a total of 364 participants watched short videos of a delivery robot being kicked by an “abuser” and observed one of four different pre-tested robot reactions towards abuse: sad face, neutral face, white screen, and black screen. Concerning negative affect and situational empathy towards the robot and the abuser, significant differences were found between screen on conditions (sad, neutral, white) and the screen off condition (black screen). No differences were found between the different screen on conditions. Especially, negative affect, ascribed warmth to the robot, and empathetic concern significantly predicted situational empathy. Humans seem to empathize most with a delivery robot indicating “being on” (white screen or facial expression) while the emotional facial reaction had no effects. Thus, autonomous robots should always show signs of being turned on when operating autonomously on the streets in order to raise empathy and prevent abuse.

In this work, we provide an argument and first empirical insights that existing technology acceptance models fall short when it comes to explaining spontaneous, unplanned and unsolicited encounters between humans and delivery robots on the street. Since technology acceptance models have been defined by the technology's perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioural intention to use, they are not well suited to explain acceptance in situations in which humans meet robots without any prior intention to use. Nevertheless, acceptance of delivery robots might be a driving force for safe navigation. Thus, the concept of acceptance should not be limited to its current focus on (planned) usage. In consequence, we i) expand the understanding of technology acceptance, ii) propose the concept of Existence Acceptance for autonomous systems, and iii) explore a new model for acceptance in an online study (n = 185). Theoretical considerations hint towards the relevance of existence acceptance models for autonomous systems.

The question how humans integrate artificial lower limb devices into their body schema has distinct potential for engineering motion assistance systems, e.g., the design of robotic prostheses. Adding robotic technology to existing psychological experiments enables a deeper investigation of multisensory interaction between proprioceptive, visual, and tactile stimuli during motion. This paper reports the design and control of a robot to investigate embodiment with regard to the lower limbs. In an evaluation study, the rubber hand illusion is transferred to the whole leg for the first time. Participants performed knee bends according to three different conditions being imitated by a robotic leg. The occurrence of a robotic leg illusion was subjectively assessed by a questionnaire and objectively measured by the proprioceptive drift. Considering both metrics, the results show a successful integration of the robotic leg into the body schema. Motion synchronization appears to be a paramount factor, whereby the study indicates that acoustical stimulation might also be relevant. The interrelation between mechatronic design and control of the human-in-the-loop experiment and the factors influencing the illusion are discussed and alternative experimental setups are suggested.

For individuals having a motor disorder of neuromuscular origin, computer usage can be challenging. Due to different medical conditions, alternative input methodologies such as speech or eye tracking are no option. Here, piezo sensors, inertial measurement units and force resistance sensors are used to develop input devices that can compensate for mouse and keyboard. The devices are tested in a case study with one potential user with ataxia. Future user studies will deliver additional insights in the users' specific needs and further improve the developments.