Investigating the Proxemics Shape in Social Navigation: An Exploratory User Study

Proxemics is a crucial aspect of social robot navigation that studies how people utilize the physical space around them and position themselves relative to others. This exploratory user study looked at the interaction distances users preferred in human-robot interaction with a mobile teleoperated robot; the distances were utilized to design appropriate proxemics shapes. A within-the-group experimental design was conducted with four independent variables: two positions (sitting/standing) and two approach directions (front/back); each user experienced all four trials. Results indicate that the proxemics distance is not affected by the participant's position but by the robot’s approach direction. Participants required more distance from the robot when approaching them from the front. The outcome distances combined with findings from the literature led to the formation of an asymmetric proxemics shape with higher distances than Hall’s [1] traditional circular shape and distance zones, representing real-world interactions and distance preferences in human-robot encounters.