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ABSTRACT
This paper presents results toward our ongoing research program into
hands-off assistive human-robot interaction. Our work has focused on
applications of socially assistive robotics in health care and
education, where human supervision can be significantly augmented and
complemented by intelligent machines. In this paper, we focus on the
role of embodiment, empirically addressing the question: ``In what
ways can the robot's physical embodiment be used effectively to
positively influence human task-related behavior?'' We hypothesized
that users' personalities would correlate with their preferences of
robot behavior expression. To test this hypothesis, we implemented an
autonomous mobile robot aimed at the role of a monitoring and
encouragement system for stroke patient rehabilitation. We performed a
pilot study that indicates that the presence and behavior of the robot
can influence how well people comply with their physical therapy.
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