Mental Synchronization in Human Task Demonstration: Implications for Robot Teaching and Learning

Communication is integral to knowledge transfer in human-human interaction. To inform effective knowledge transfer in human-robot interaction, we conducted an observational study to better understand how people use gaze and other backchannel signals to ground their mutual understanding of task-oriented instruction during learning interactions. Our results highlight qualitative and quantitative differences in how people exhibit and respond to gaze, depending on motivation and instructional context. The findings of this study inform future research that seeks to improve the efficacy and naturalness of robots as they communicate with people as both learners and instructors.

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