Do We Need Needy Robots? Some Open Questions about Helping Behaviors Towards Robots in Urban Spaces

Abstract

In December 2021, we conducted a mix-methods study of passersby' helping behaviors towards commercially deployed delivery robots in the central districts of Tallinn, Estonia. Based on the observations, autoethnography and online content analysis, we concluded that instances of voluntarily helping behaviors towards robots in urban spaces were common and people found these interactions enjoyable. In this workshop submission we situate our findings in the context of existing work in human-robot interaction (HRI) on helping behaviors towards robots. Specifically, by juxtaposing our findings to the earlier work that emphasized design for ``neediness", human-likeness and expressive communication strategies when seeking human help, we invite discussion about the minimum necessary robot design requirements for people to engage in helping behaviors spontaneously. By questioning the additional value of human-like interaction strategies in the situations where people help robots to achieve their goals, we also invite more research on the human-centered factors e.g., intrinsic motivation that shape how people engage with robots in the wild. In conclusion, we argue that robots in public spaces call for theoretical and methodological approaches that extend beyond the dyadic - and even triadic - HRI concepts to consider public spaces as socio-technical environments with multiple actors co-influencing each other and ultimately shaping local communities.