Incorporated identity in interaction with a teleoperated android robot: A case study

In near future artificial social agents embodied as virtual agents or as robots with humanoid appearance, will be placed in public settings and used as interaction tools. Considering the uncanny-valley-effect or images of robots as threat for humanity, a study about the acceptance and handling of such an interaction tool in the broad public is of great interest. The following study is based on qualitative methods of interaction analysis focusing on tendencies of peoples´ ways to control or perceive a teleoperated android robot in an open public space. This field study shows the tendency of the users to ascribe an own identity to the teleoperated android robot Geminoid HI-1, which is independent from the identity of the controlling person. Both sides of the interaction unit were analyzed for 1) verbal cues about identity presentation on the side of the teleoperator, controlling the robot and for 2) verbal cues about identity perception of Geminoid HI-1 from the side of the interlocutor talking to the robot. The study unveils identity-creation, identity-switching, identity-mediation and identity-imitation of the teleoperators´ own identity cues and the use of metaphorical language of the interlocutors showing forms to anthropomorphize and mentalize the android robot whilst interaction. Both sides of the interaction unit thus confer an `incorporated identity´ towards the android robot Geminoid HI-1 and unveil tendencies to treat the android robot as social agent.