Culture and Human-Robot Interaction in Militarized Spaces - A War Story

Julie Carpenter, Jai Galliott, Katina Michael, Avery Plaw

Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel are some of the most highly trained people in the military, with a job description that spans defusing unexploded ordnance to protecting VIP's and state dignitaries. EOD are also one of the first military groups to work with robots every day. These robots have become an increasingly important tool in EOD work, enabling people to work at safer distances in many dangerous situations. Based on exploratory research investigating interactions between EOD personnel and the robots they use, this study richly describes the nuances of these reciprocal influences, especially those related to operator emotion associated with the robots. In particular, this book examines the activities, processes and contexts that influence of constrain everyday EOD human-robot interactions, what human factors are shaping the (robotic) technology and how people and...