What Makes a Robot Robotic? Application of Speed, Fluidity and Animation Principles to Define Human Versus Robotic Movement

This study aims to define what robotic movement is. A great deal of research has been done on nonverbal communication and the perception of robot movements, but this large body of research is yet to have a solid definition of what "robotic" movement is in the first place. We present a series of 8 stop motion video clips to a general population sample who rates the movement on a robotic-human continuum and reports the amount of surprise they would experience if a robot or human were to move in the manner portrayed in the clip. We manipulate the type of robot as either industrial or humanoid. Additionally, we manipulate movement by applying principles of speed, fluidity and animation in order to generate a definition of robotic movement. Results suggest that asynchronous, separated axis movement produces higher perceptions of robotic movement whereas animation principle applications such as hesitation can suppress perceptions of robotic movement.