Social NavigationIntermediate
Rethinking Legibility in Social Robot Hallway Navigation: Impact of Intent Representation and Human Distraction
This preprint evaluates how a robot should convey navigation intent in constrained hallways. In two user studies with the Hello Robot Stretch 2, adaptive passing-side legibility led to smoother human motion and higher competence ratings than destination-based or non-legible baselines, and legible passing-side motion still reduced human acceleration when pedestrians were distracted. The work shows that communicating near-term passing side, not final destination, is key for close-quarters human-robot coordination.