Toward a framework for human-robot interaction

The goal of this article is to introduce the reader to the rich and vibrant field of robotics. Robotics is a field in change; the meaning of the term robot today differs substantially from the term just 1 decade ago. The primary purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive description of past- and present-day robotics. It identifies the major epochs of robotic technology and systems-from industrial to service robotics-and characterizes the different styles of human-robot interaction paradigmatic for each epoch. To help set the agenda for research on human-robot interaction, the article articulates some of the most pressing open questions pertaining to modern-day human-robot interaction.