Domestic IoT appliances like smart speakers, smart locks and robot vacuum cleaners are usually connected through smartphone apps to provide additional functionality and remote control. Although smartphones have many different sensors and actuators, these apps provide a primarily graphical user interface with these appliances. To explore a more somatically engaging experience the prototype JoyTilt was designed, developed and tested with users. JoyTilt enables its user to control a robot vacuum cleaner like a toy car by tilting their phone in the direction they want it to go. This study found that the participants had their gaze focused on the robotic vacuum cleaner while controlling it and that the participants had both positive and negative bodily experiences with JoyTilt. Interviews with the participants provide suggestions for balancing control of robot vacuum cleaners and keeping the robot’s autonomy using JoyTilt. In this study the aesthetics of the material, choice of materials and choice of interaction model come together in the design of JoyTilt to shape the human-robot relationship. Lastly, the thesis highlights the values of further considering the bodily experience when designing apps. / Uppkopplade produkter för hemmabruk så som smarta högtalare, smarta lås och larm eller robotdammsugare kopplas till våra smartphones via appar som möjliggör ytterligare funktioner, exempelvis fjärrstyrning och schemaläggning. Trots att smartphones innehåller en mängd olika sensorer används i regel primärt grafiskt gränssnitt i dessa appar. Genom att designa, utveckla och testa prototypen JoyTilt utforskas en somaestetisk användarupplevelse med fokus på den fysiska upplevelsen. Med appen JoyTilt kan en robotdammsugare styras likt en radiostyrd bil genom att luta smartphonen. I testerna med JoyTilt hade deltagarna sin blick fästa på robotdammsugaren när de styrde den. Deltagarna hade både positiva och negativa kroppsliga upplevelser av Joytilt. Från intervjuerna med deltagarna kom förslag på sätt att balansera kontroll av robotdammsugaren med dess autonomi med hjälp av JoyTilt. Val av designmaterial, dess estetik och interaktionsmodell bidrog till utformningen av JoyTilt som i sin tur påverkade relationen mellan människa och robot. Slutligen understryker den här studien värdet av att ta den kroppsliga upplevelsen i beaktning och nyttja det ofta förbisedda fysiska designutrymmet i appdesign.

Recentes avanços na tecnologia de robôs móveis têm sido direcionados para um novo tipo de sistema robótico o qual é denominado de robô pessoal. Esses robôs realizam tarefas caseiras cotidianas, além de interagir e auxiliar pessoas que necessitam de cuidados especiais. Para realizar tais tarefas são necessárias medidas de interação e programação entre o robô e o ser humano. Essa interface é discutida em diversas pesquisas que evidenciam a necessidade de um ambiente de desenvolvimento de aplicações para robôs com alto nível de abstração e que possua uma interface amigável. Com isso, o presente trabalho vem contribuir com essa nova área de pesquisa através da proposta de um ambiente de desenvolvimento de aplicações para robôs com alto nível de abstração utilizando blocos de tarefas, que se destina tanto a programadores experientes quanto a usuários com pouco conhecimento de programação. Para realizar o interfaceamento com esses dois tipos de usuários, o ambiente provê um módulo de programação avançado que se destina à criação de novas tarefas, e um módulo de programação específico para usuários com pouco conhecimento em programação, com uma interface amigável. No módulo avançado as novas tarefas utilizam a estrutura de uma biblioteca de alto nível de abstração (Java for Robotics), também proposta nesse trabalho. Além das interfaces, o ambiente contém um módulo intermediário, apresentado como Middleware, que manipula todas as informações do ambiente de programação com o sistema robótico ou com o simulador de robôs. Essa proposta de ambiente foi validada utilizando o simulador de robôs Player/Stage com o sistema robótico Khepera. / Recent advances in the technology of mobile robots have developed for a new type of robotic system which is named personal robot. These robots are able to realize domestic daily tasks, interact and help people with special cares. In order to perform such tasks, interaction and programming measurements between the robot and the human being are necessary. This interface is discussed in several research that put in evidence the necessity of a development environment for applications or manipulation for the personal robots has a friendly interface. In this way, the present work contributes to this new research field with the proposal of an environment for robots applications development (framework), with high abstraction level with tasks blocks, designed for both experienced programmers and non experienced users. To make possible the interface between the two kinds of users, the environment provides an advanced programming module and a specific one for beginners. The advanced module allows the creation of new applications or tasks for the robotic system using a high abstraction level considering the robot programming. On the other hand, the module for beginners uses tasks blocks with a friendly interface. Based in an intermediate module, named Middleware, which ma nagement the whole data of environment programming language and provides an output to the robotic system or to the robot simulator, the environment becomes able to support several robotic systems. The proposal of the environment was validate using the simulator Player/Stage with Khepera´s system.

Recentes avanços na tecnologia de robôs móveis têm sido direcionados para um novo tipo de sistema robótico o qual é denominado de robô pessoal. Esses robôs realizam tarefas caseiras cotidianas, além de interagir e auxiliar pessoas que necessitam de cuidados especiais. Para realizar tais tarefas são necessárias medidas de interação e programação entre o robô e o ser humano. Essa interface é discutida em diversas pesquisas que evidenciam a necessidade de um ambiente de desenvolvimento de aplicações para robôs com alto nível de abstração e que possua uma interface amigável. Com isso, o presente trabalho vem contribuir com essa nova área de pesquisa através da proposta de um ambiente de desenvolvimento de aplicações para robôs com alto nível de abstração utilizando blocos de tarefas, que se destina tanto a programadores experientes quanto a usuários com pouco conhecimento de programação. Para realizar o interfaceamento com esses dois tipos de usuários, o ambiente provê um módulo de programação avançado que se destina à criação de novas tarefas, e um módulo de programação específico para usuários com pouco conhecimento em programação, com uma interface amigável. No módulo avançado as novas tarefas utilizam a estrutura de uma biblioteca de alto nível de abstração (Java for Robotics), também proposta nesse trabalho. Além das interfaces, o ambiente contém um módulo intermediário, apresentado como Middleware, que manipula todas as informações do ambiente de programação com o sistema robótico ou com o simulador de robôs. Essa proposta de ambiente foi validada utilizando o simulador de robôs Player/Stage com o sistema robótico Khepera. / Recent advances in the technology of mobile robots have developed for a new type of robotic system which is named personal robot. These robots are able to realize domestic daily tasks, interact and help people with special cares. In order to perform such tasks, interaction and programming measurements between the robot and the human being are necessary. This interface is discussed in several research that put in evidence the necessity of a development environment for applications or manipulation for the personal robots has a friendly interface. In this way, the present work contributes to this new research field with the proposal of an environment for robots applications development (framework), with high abstraction level with tasks blocks, designed for both experienced programmers and non experienced users. To make possible the interface between the two kinds of users, the environment provides an advanced programming module and a specific one for beginners. The advanced module allows the creation of new applications or tasks for the robotic system using a high abstraction level considering the robot programming. On the other hand, the module for beginners uses tasks blocks with a friendly interface. Based in an intermediate module, named Middleware, which ma nagement the whole data of environment programming language and provides an output to the robotic system or to the robot simulator, the environment becomes able to support several robotic systems. The proposal of the environment was validate using the simulator Player/Stage with Khepera´s system.

The recent advancement of robotic technology brings robots closer to assisting us in our everyday spaces, providing support for healthcare, cleaning, entertaining and other tasks. In this dissertation, I refer to these robots as everyday robots. Scholars argue that the key to successful human acceptance lies in the design of robots that have the ability to blend into everyday activities. A challenge remains; robots are an autonomous technology that triggers multi-faceted interactions: physical, intellectual, social and emotional, making their presence visible and even obtrusive. These challenges need more than technological advances to be resolved; more human-centered approaches are required in the design. However to date, little is known about how to support that human-centered design of everyday robots. In this thesis, I address this gap by introducing an initial set of design guidelines for everyday robots. These guidelines are based on four empirical studies undertaken to identify how people live with robots in the home. These studies mine insights about what interaction attributes of everyday robots elicit positive or negative user responses. The guidelines were deployed in the development of one type of everyday robot: a senior-care robot called HomeMate. It shows that the guidelines become useful during the early development process by helping designers and robot engineers to focus on how social and emotional values of end-users influence the design of the technical functions required. Overall, this thesis addresses a question how we can support the design of everyday robots to become more accepted by users. I respond to this question by proposing a set of design guidelines that account for lived experiences of robots in the home, which ultimately can improve the adoption and use of everyday robots.