Designing interfaces for robot control based on Semiotic Engineering

This paper explores the use of Semiotic Engineering theory in the design of different interfaces for the control of a mobile robot. Based on a set of sign classes for human-robot interaction, we have elaborated a common interaction model and designed different interfaces for controlling an e-puck robot, a small sized mobile robot used for education and research. We implemented three interfaces using different technologies (desktop, Tablet PC, and handheld) and tested them with a group of users, in order to evaluate if the sign classes and their representations were adequate and also the differences perceived in the use of diverse interaction technologies.