Experimental Methodology for Humanrobot Interaction: Guidelines and Case Studies for Human-centred and Ethical Robotics Research

Leading figures in Australian robotics research provide an overview and guidance for human–robot interaction (HRI) experimental design and evaluation methodologies that consider the ethical implications of the research and its applications from a human-centred and contextual perspective. The authors explain introductory and advanced topics in HRI with a focus on human-centred evaluation and ethical practices. They also provide an online interactive checklist tool for novice HRI researchers and students to deploy when designing their own studies.

The book is structured into three parts. In Part I, the authors first review fundamental methodologies and provide an interactive checklist tool of the HRI experimental study life cycle to guide beginners to the field. Part II introduces an expanded set of approaches to support researchers and practitioners to create high-quality study designs that draw on practices from human-computer interaction, human-centred artificial intelligence, psychology and social science, and advance ethical HRI research. Finally, in Part III, the authors discuss a selection of HRI studies as examples of how the introduced methodologies are adopted, which will support the readers to further understand the fundamental and advanced methodologies described in Parts I and II. The diverse collection of case studies enables readers to grasp the state of the art and apply what they have learned in their own practices.

This book is a vital resource for both students new to the field and experienced researchers and practitioners. The book’s practical focus and clear elucidation of relevant case studies, from its introduction to the HRI experimental study life cycle through to advanced methods emerging in the field, ensures that this will greatly benefit progress in the field with human-centred and ethical experimental methodology.

Leimin Tian is a senior scientist and the leader of the Human –Robot Interaction team at CSIRO Robotics. Her research spans over human–robot interaction, human-centred AI, and affective computing. She focuses on developing robots that incorporate social-emotional intelligence to enhance communication and collaboration in various applications. She attained her BEng from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2012 and her MSc and PhD from The University of Edinburgh in 2013 and 2018, respectively.

Tina L.Y. Wu (1996–2023) obtained her PhD degree from Monash University in 2024. She obtained her BASc in Biomedical Engineering (Honours) from the University of Waterloo in 2019. Her research focused on human–robot interaction, human motion analysis, rehabilitation robots, and user experience design.

Nicole L. Robinson is a lecturer at Monash University. She is the Co-founder, Executive Director and Board Member of LYRO Robotics Pty Ltd and is an Advisor to the Australian Government’s National Artificial Intelligence Centre hosted by CSIRO. She is also an advisor to Monash Robogals. She attained her PhD from Queensland University of Technology in 2018.

Pamela Carreno-Medrano is a lecturer at Monash Robotics. Her research interests lie at the intersection of human–robot interaction, human-centred and embodied AI, and human-centred design. Her work focuses on developing autonomous, intelligent agents (virtually and/or physically embodied) that can adequately interact with humans in both short- and long-term scenarios. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Universidad EAFIT, Medellin, Columbia in 2010; her Master’s degree from École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest in 2012; and PhD from Université de Bretagne Sud in 2016.

Wesley P. Chan is a Senior Software Engineer at A&K Robotics and an Affiliate of the Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University. He attained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of British Columbia in 2010 and 2012, respectively, and his PhD from the University of Tokyo in 2016.

Maram Sakr is a PhD candidate in the joint program between the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash University, Australia. She is an experimental roboticist working at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and human–robot interaction. Her research focuses on enabling everyday users to collaborate with and teach robots intuitively and efficiently.

Elahe Abdi is a Senior Lecturer of Robotics at Monash University. She obtained her BSc from the University of Tehran in 2009, her MSc from Sharif University of Technology in 2012, and her PhD from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in 2017.

Elizabeth A. Croft is Vice President Academic and Provost, University of Victoria, Canada. She obtained her BASc from the University of British Columbia in 1988, MASc from the University of Waterloo in 1992, and PhD from the University of Toronto in 1995.

Dana Kulić is a leading expert in robotics, specialising in human–robot interaction and intelligent systems. Her work focuses on developing autonomous systems that interact naturally with humans and learn from user feedback. She is a Professor at Monash University and is the founding Director of Monash Robotics. She attained her BASc, MASc, and PhD from the University of British Columbia in 1998, 1998, and 2006, respectively.