Human-Robot Companionship

Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions

Abstract

Walking is an essential aspect of daily life, while walking with companions offers numerous benefits. Recently developed mobile robots, through their ability to navigate challenging terrains, open new possibilities for outdoor walking companionship. Yet, little is known about how such companions shape the human walking experience. In this study, nine participants walked outdoors with a robot and later reflected on their walking experience in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis showed that the robot influenced how participants related to it, how they managed proximity, and how their attention, control, and social presence were affected. Building on these insights, we identify five key dimensions of human–robot walking: attunement, awareness mediation, proxemics, social perception, and playful curiosity. These dimensions capture how walking with robots transforms this ordinary activity into a co-experienced practice and additionally offer concrete design implications for designing and creating more meaningful, comfortable, and socially attuned human-robot walking interactions.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: Acceptance rate: 25.1%, h5-index: 134

Date: 2026

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed, Çağlar Genç, Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari

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BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Çağlar Genç, Velvet Spors, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2026. Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 828, 18 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

APA

Ahmed, E., Genç, Ç., Spors, V., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2026). Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26). Article 828, pp. 1-18. New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions." In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, 2026, Article 828, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Genç, Ç., Spors, V., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2026). ‘Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions’, In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26), Article 828, p. 1-18. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Genç Ç, Spors V, Hamari J, Buruk O. Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions. In: Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery; 2026. Article 828 p. 1-18. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Çağlar Genç, Velvet Spors, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions." In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, (2026): Article 828,1-18. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

ISO960

AHMED, E.; GENç, Ç.; SPORS, V.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. Roaming with a Robot: Analyzing the Experiences and Understanding the Dimensions of Designing Human-Robot Walking Interactions. In: Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2026. Article 828, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791711

Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority

Abstract

Companion robots are increasingly envisioned as social partners beyond indoor settings, yet little is known about how companionship unfolds in outdoor environments. This study investigates how robot engagement (active vs. passive) and authority (leader vs. follower) shape human–robot companionship during forest-based walking experiences. We conducted a mixed-design field experiment in which participants walked with a mobile robot under different engagement and authority conditions. Companionship was assessed through connection and coordination rapport, with human–robot trust and robot social presence examined as mediating mechanisms. Results show that robot engagement and authority did not directly enhance companionship. Instead, trust and social presence emerged as strong predictors of companionship, with robot authority positively influencing trust. These findings suggest that companionship in outdoor contexts arises primarily through relational perceptions rather than overt behavioral cues, highlighting the importance of designing outdoor companion robots that emphasize reliability and social presence over expressive interaction.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Poster)

Conference: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: Acceptance rate: 38.4%, h5-index: 134

Date: 2026

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed, Narda De la Flor Enciso, Isak De Villiers Bosman, Iuliia Avgustis, Shiva Jabari and Juho Hamari

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BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Narda De la Flor Enciso, Isak De Villiers Bosman, Iuliia Avgustis, Shiva Jabari, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2026. Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 384, 6 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

APA

Ahmed, E., De la Flor Enciso, N., De Villiers Bosman, I., Avgustis, I., Jabari, S., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2026). Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). Article 384, pp. 1-6. New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority." In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, 2026, Article 384, pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

Harvard

Ahmed, E., De la Flor Enciso, N., De Villiers Bosman, I., Avgustis, I., Jabari, S., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2026). ‘Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority’, In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26), Article 384, p. 1-6. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

Vancouver

Ahmed E, De la Flor Enciso N, De Villiers Bosman I, Avgustis I, Jabari S, Hamari J, et al. Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority. In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery; 2026. Article 384 p. 1-6. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Narda De la Flor Enciso, Isak De Villiers Bosman, Iuliia Avgustis, Shiva Jabari, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority." In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, (2026): Article 384,1-6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

ISO960

AHMED, E.; DE LA FLOR ENCISO, N.; DE VILLIERS BOSMAN, I.; AVGUSTIS, I.; JABARI, S.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. Human-Robot Companionship in the Forest: Understanding the Effects of Engagement and Authority. In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2026. Article 384, pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799331

Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior

Abstract

As robots move from controlled laboratory environments to real-world settings, it is increasingly important to understand how people perceive and respond to their behaviors in dynamic and uncontrolled contexts (e.g., forest), more specifically how the communication unfolds between robots and humans. This study investigates how humans interpret the gestural behaviors of a quadruped robot during a forest walk, aiming to understand how these interpretations shape their responses. Through thematic analysis of interviews with eight participants walking with the robot, we generated three key themes. Findings show that participants interpreted ambiguous movements meaningfully, guided by the robot's animal-like appearance and the surrounding context. Moreover, gestural communication facilitated subtle exploration, and lastly, non-intrusive exploration and interaction were shaped not only by participants’ actions but also by their attribution of the robot's agency and intentionality. These results contribute valuable insights into human-robot interaction dynamics in uncontrolled outdoor settings.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Poster)

Conference: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Stats: Acceptance rate: 38.4%, h5-index: 134

Date: 2026

Co-Authors: Narda De la Flor Enciso, Eshtiak Ahmed and Aino Ahtinen

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BibTeX

SIGCHI

Narda De la Flor Enciso, Eshtiak Ahmed, Aino Ahtinen and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2026. Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 251, 5 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

APA

De la Flor Enciso, N., Ahmed, E., Ahtinen, A., & Buruk, O. (2026). Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). Article 251, pp. 1-5. New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

MLA

De la Flor Enciso, Narda et al. "Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior." In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, 2026, Article 251, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

Harvard

De la Flor Enciso, N., Ahmed, E., Ahtinen, A., and Buruk, O. (2026). ‘Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior’, In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26), Article 251, p. 1-5. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

Vancouver

De la Flor Enciso N, Ahmed E, Ahtinen A, Buruk O. Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior. In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery; 2026. Article 251 p. 1-5. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

Chicago

De la Flor Enciso, Narda, Eshtiak Ahmed, Aino Ahtinen, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior." In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, (2026): Article 251,1-5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

ISO960

DE LA FLOR ENCISO, N.; AHMED, E.; AHTINEN, A.; BURUK, O. Embodied Encounters in the Forest: Human Interpretations and Sense Making of Robot Presence and Behavior. In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2026. Article 251, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799278

A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots

Abstract

As robots increasingly enter social and domestic environments, their ability to generate context-aware and expressive behaviors becomes essential for meaningful and believable human-robot interaction. Traditional behavior generation often relies on static rules or scripted routines, limiting adaptability and nuance. In this workshop, we present a novel system that leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate dynamic, embodied responses for robots. Our system integrates a defined robot persona, an affordance profile based on physical capabilities, and a response mapping framework that converts conversational inputs into sequences of expressive movement markers. Participants will engage in a hands-on experience with this system, beginning with an introduction to behavior generation in robotics and a live demonstration. Working in small groups, they will design their own LLM prompts and response scenarios for daily life interactions, implement them using the framework, and test the results directly on a quadruped robot, Spot from Boston Dynamics. The workshop drives participants and practitioners to critically reflect on expressive AI and robot interaction design.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Workshop)

Conference: Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference

Stats: h5-index: 18

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed, Bakhtawar Khan, Jiangnan Xu, Linas Kristupas Gabrielaitis and Juho Hamari

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BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Bakhtawar Khan, Jiangnan Xu, Linas Kristupas Gabrielaitis, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2025. A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots. In Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 432–436. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

APA

Ahmed, E., Khan, B., Xu, J., Kristupas Gabrielaitis, L., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2025). A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots. In Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25). pp. 432–436. 1-5. New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots." In Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, 2025, pp. 432–436. pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Khan, B., Xu, J., Kristupas Gabrielaitis, L., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2025). ‘A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots’, In Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25), p. 432–436. p. 1-5. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Khan B, Xu J, Kristupas Gabrielaitis L, Hamari J, Buruk O. A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots. In: Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery; 2025. p. 432–436. p. 1-5. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Bakhtawar Khan, Jiangnan Xu, Linas Kristupas Gabrielaitis, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots." In Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, (2025): 432–436. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

ISO960

AHMED, E.; KHAN, B.; XU, J.; KRISTUPAS GABRIELAITIS, L.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. A Hands-on Workshop on Designing LLM-Powered Context-Aware Behavior for Companion Robots. In: Proceedings of the 28th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (Mindtrek '25). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2025. pp. 432–436. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757980.3758014

AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs

Abstract

As robots move beyond industrial and assistive roles into everyday human environments, the ability to communicate naturally and responsively becomes increasingly important. This paper presents a system that enables a quadruped robot, Boston Dynamics’ Spot, to respond to human voice inputs with expressive, dog-like physical behaviors. By integrating voice recognition, large language models (LLMs), and a structured response mapping framework, the robot interprets conversational inputs and generates sequences of behavior markers aligned with its physical capabilities. The system defines a robot persona and prompts the LLM with contextual constraints, including movement affordances and limitations, to ensure realistic and semantically appropriate responses. Our study highlights the potential of using LLMs not only for dialogue generation but also for embodied interaction design. While the limited expressivity and subtlety of robotic movement pose challenges, this work demonstrates a promising step toward more intuitive and engaging human-robot interaction. We discuss the implications for generalizing this approach to different robot morphologies and outline future directions for expanding behavioral nuance, emotional interpretation, and multimodal engagement.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: International Conference on Social Robotics

Stats: h5-index: 20

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed and Juho Hamari

PDF Cite Springer

BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2025. AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs. In International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25). Springer, 159-173. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

APA

Ahmed, E., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2025). AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs. In International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25). pp. 159-173. Springer, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs." In International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25), Springer, 2025, pp. 159-173. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2025). ‘AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs’, In International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25), p. 159-173. Springer, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Hamari J, Buruk O. AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs. In: International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25). Springer; 2025. p. 159-173. Available from: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs." In International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25), Springer, (2025): 159-173. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

ISO960

AHMED, E.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. AwaR (e) obot: Towards Designing and Generating Context-Aware Companion Robot Behavior Using LLMs. In: International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR '25). Springer, 2025. pp. 159-173. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-2379-5_11

Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions

Abstract

This paper presents a speculative design workshop that represents an initial attempt to explore playful methods for envisioning more-than-human forest-robot interactions. Bringing together game designers, researchers, and technologists, the two-day workshop used creative games, such as a forest-themed fake news card game and AI-generated PowerPoint karaoke, to provoke imaginative thinking. Participants developed speculative concepts through bodystorming, storyboarding, and the creation of short videos, featuring a Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Our analysis, grounded in visual thematic analysis, highlights how play facilitated ideation, visualization, and the making of more-than-human forest-robot concepts. As a work-in-progress, we learned that some game elements proved to be too abstract; however, the iterative making and acting processes helped participants ground and refine their ideas. The outcomes of the workshop, in the form of forest-robot concepts, represent a wide array of more-than-human design considerations. We also discuss the implications from the concepts through a critical more-than-human lens.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Work in Progress)

Conference: Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play

Stats: h5-index: 27

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed, Philip Chambers, Timo Nummenmaa, Mari Selkimäki, Teppo Hujala and Juho Hamari

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BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Philip Chambers, Timo Nummenmaa, Mari Selkimäki, Teppo Hujala, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2025. Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions. In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

APA

Ahmed, E., Chambers, P., Nummenmaa, T., Selkimäki, M., Hujala, T., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2025). Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions. In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25). pp. 73–79. 1-7. New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions." In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, 2025, pp. 73–79. pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Chambers, P., Nummenmaa, T., Selkimäki, M., Hujala, T., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2025). ‘Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions’, In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25), p. 73–79. p. 1-7. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Chambers P, Nummenmaa T, Selkimäki M, Hujala T, Hamari J, et al. Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions. In: Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery; 2025. p. 73–79. p. 1-7. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Philip Chambers, Timo Nummenmaa, Mari Selkimäki, Teppo Hujala, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions." In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25), New York, NY, USA, Association for Computing Machinery, (2025): 73–79. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

ISO960

AHMED, E.; CHAMBERS, P.; NUMMENMAA, T.; SELKIMäKI, M.; HUJALA, T.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. Forest-Robot-Stormin’: Exploring Play for Eliciting More-than-Human (MtH) Forest-Robot Interactions. In: Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '25). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 2025. pp. 73–79. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749334

Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space

Abstract

Autonomous systems such as robots are permeating our daily lives increasingly every day, which are now adorned with social elements, bringing them closer to synthetic companions. While used in fields like well-being, education, guidance, and entertainment, companion robots also hold great potential for outdoor uses, particularly accompanying people in the wild with numerous potential benefits. However, current studies lack a comprehensive understanding of the possible uses, functions, and behavior of companion robots outdoors. To explore this area, we have run a co-design study consisting of 5 design workshops with 30 participants, including interaction designers, product development experts, engineers, robotics experts, and frequent forest goers. The study resulted in nine valuable design themes, transferred into five design concepts, which were then interpreted into a comprehensive design space that can be leveraged by designers and researchers in creating companion robots for the wild.

Role: Co-author, Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Journal: International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

Stats: h5-index: 83

Date: 2025

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed, Laura Diana Cosio, Çağlar Genç and Juho Hamari

PDF Cite Taylor & Francis

BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Laura Diana Cosio, Çağlar Genç, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2025. Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction: 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

APA

Ahmed, E., Cosio, L. D., Genç, Ç., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2025). Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space." International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 2025, pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Cosio, L. D., Genç, Ç., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2025). ‘Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space’, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction p. 1-26. Taylor & Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Cosio LD, Genç Ç, Hamari J, Buruk O. Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. 2025: p. 1-26. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Laura Diana Cosio, Çağlar Genç, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space." International Journal of Human-Computer InteractionTaylor & Francis, (2025): 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

ISO960

AHMED, E.; COSIO, L. D.; GENç, Ç.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. Co-Designing Companion Robots for the Wild: Ideating Towards a Design Space. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction Taylor & Francis, 2025. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2524500

Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Walking is an integral part of daily human lives which also has a great influence on happiness and wellbeing. Walking with a dog companion is one of the most popular forms of recreational walking that has similar benefits. The recent development of mobile zoomorphic robots, especially robot dogs has opened up new opportunities in the landscape of walking with companions. This led us to investigate how such robots can accompany humans in walking, and how the mobility and behavior of robots in a daily-life walking scenario affect humans’ walking experience. We interviewed nine participants who took a 15–20-minute walk with a companion robot around a university campus, to understand how diverse walking behaviors of a companion robot influence their perceived experiences. We have generated four key themes through thematic analysis. They imply that affective relationalities between humans and robots can build intimacy and empathy, whereas personal space and physical proximity need to be thought carefully to ensure interaction comfort and spontaneity. Additionally, the robot influenced people’s self-reflection and social values refraining them from enjoying an unknown experience, while ambiguity in communication led to less confidence and trust.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication

Stats: h5-index: 31

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed, Çağlar Genç, Velvet Spors and Juho Hamari

PDF Cite IEEExplore

BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Çağlar Genç, Velvet Spors, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2024. Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned. In 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24). IEEExplore, 2264-2271. https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

APA

Ahmed, E., Genç, Ç., Spors, V., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2024). Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned. In 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24). pp. 2264-2271. IEEExplore, https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned." In 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24), IEEExplore, 2024, pp. 2264-2271. https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Genç, Ç., Spors, V., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2024). ‘Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned’, In 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24), p. 2264-2271. IEEExplore, https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Genç Ç, Spors V, Hamari J, Buruk O. Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned. In: 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24). IEEExplore; 2024. p. 2264-2271. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Çağlar Genç, Velvet Spors, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned." In 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24), IEEExplore, (2024): 2264-2271. https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

ISO960

AHMED, E.; GENç, Ç.; SPORS, V.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. Walking Your Robot Dog: Experiences and Lessons Learned. In: 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (ROMAN '24). IEEExplore, 2024. pp. 2264-2271. https://doi.org/10.1109/RO-MAN60168.2024.10731205

Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda

Abstract

The field of robotics has grown exponentially over the years, especially the social aspect, which has enabled robots to interact with humans meaningfully. Robots are now used in many domains, such as manufacturing, healthcare, education, entertainment, rehabilitation, etc. Along with their widespread use in many real-life environments, robots have been used as companions to humans. With the increased amount of research done on human–robot partnership (HRC), it is important to understand how this domain is developing, in which direction, and what the future might hold. There is also a need to understand the influenza factors and what kind of empirical results are in the literature. To address these questions, we conducted a systematic literature review and analyzed a final number of 134 relevant articles. The findings suggest that anthropomorphic and zoomorphic robots are more popular as human companions, while there is a lack of interest in functional and caricatured robots. Also, human-like and animal-like features are implemented more in companion robots. Studies rarely exploit the mobility available in these robots in companionship scenarios, especially in outdoor settings. In addition to that, co-existence and co-performance-based implementation with people have been observed rarely. Based on the results, we propose a future research agenda that includes thematic, theoretical, methodological, and technological agendas. This study will help us understand the current state and use of robotic companies which will then potentially aid in determining how HRC can be leveraged and integrated more seamlessly into human lives for better effectiveness.

*the image of this project was created by robots (obviously) since the research itself did not produce nice images

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Journal: International Journal of Social Robotics

Stats: h5-index: 56, impact factor: 3.8

Date: 2024

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed and Juho Hamari

PDF Cite Springer

BibTeX

@article{hrcompanion2024ijsoro, title = {Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda}, author = {Ahmed, Eshtiak and Buruk, Oğuz ‘Oz’ and Hamari, Juho}, abstract = {The field of robotics has grown exponentially over the years, especially the social aspect, which has enabled robots to interact with humans meaningfully. Robots are now used in many domains, such as manufacturing, healthcare, education, entertainment, rehabilitation, etc. Along with their widespread use in many real-life environments, robots have been used as companions to humans. With the increased amount of research done on human–robot partnership (HRC), it is important to understand how this domain is developing, in which direction, and what the future might hold. There is also a need to understand the influenza factors and what kind of empirical results are in the literature. To address these questions, we conducted a systematic literature review and analyzed a final number of 134 relevant articles. The findings suggest that anthropomorphic and zoomorphic robots are more popular as human companions, while there is a lack of interest in functional and caricatured robots. Also, human-like and animal-like features are implemented more in companion robots. Studies rarely exploit the mobility available in these robots in companionship scenarios, especially in outdoor settings. In addition to that, co-existence and co-performance-based implementation with people have been observed rarely. Based on the results, we propose a future research agenda that includes thematic, theoretical, methodological, and technological agendas. This study will help us understand the current state and use of robotic companies which will then potentially aid in determining how HRC can be leveraged and integrated more seamlessly into human lives for better effectiveness.}, journal = {International Journal of Social Robotics}, pages = {1-52}, year = {2024}, doi = {10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y}, publisher = {Springer} }

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk and Juho Hamari. 2024. Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda. International Journal of Social Robotics: 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

APA

Ahmed, E., Buruk, O., & Hamari, J. (2024). Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda. International Journal of Social Robotics 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda." International Journal of Social Robotics, 2024, pp. 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Buruk, O., and Hamari, J. (2024). ‘Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda’, International Journal of Social Robotics p. 1-52. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Buruk O, Hamari J. Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda. International Journal of Social Robotics. 2024: p. 1-52. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk, and Juho Hamari. "Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda." International Journal of Social RoboticsSpringer, (2024): 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

ISO960

AHMED, E.; BURUK, O.; HAMARI, J. Human-Robot Companionship: Current Trends and Future Agenda. International Journal of Social Robotics Springer, 2024. 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-024-01160-y

Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop

Abstract

Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) are becoming very popular every day because of their effectiveness in handling social situations. However, social robots are perceived as intelligent, and thus their decision-making process might have a significant effect on how they are perceived and how effective they are. In this paper, we present the findings from a participatory design study consisting of 5 design workshops with 30 participants, focusing on several decision-making scenarios of SARs in the wild. Through the findings of the PD study, we have discussed 5 directions that could aid the design of decision-making systems of SARs in the wild.

*image here was illustrated by Laura D. Cosio

Role: Supervisor

Type: Extended Abstract (Workshop Paper)

Conference: CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and Intentions

Date: 2023

Co-Authors: Ahmed Eshtiak, Laura Cosio and Juho Hamari

PDF Cite arXiv

BibTeX

SIGCHI

Ahmed Eshtiak, Laura Cosio, Juho Hamari and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. 2023. Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop. In CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and IntentionsarXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

APA

Eshtiak, A., Cosio, L., Hamari, J., & Buruk, O. (2023). Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop. In CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and Intentions arXiv, https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

MLA

Eshtiak, Ahmed et al. "Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop." In CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and Intentions, arXiv, 2023, https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

Harvard

Eshtiak, A., Cosio, L., Hamari, J., and Buruk, O. (2023). ‘Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop’, In CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and Intentions arXiv, https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

Vancouver

Eshtiak A, Cosio L, Hamari J, Buruk O. Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop. In: CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and Intentions. arXiv; 2023. Available from: https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

Chicago

Eshtiak, Ahmed, Laura Cosio, Juho Hamari, and Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk. "Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop." In CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and IntentionsarXiv, (2023): https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

ISO960

ESHTIAK, A.; COSIO, L.; HAMARI, J.; BURUK, O. Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers in the Wild: Insights from a Participatory Design Workshop. In: CHI 2023 Workshop on Socially Assistive Robots as Decision Makers: Transparency, Motivations, and Intentions arXiv, 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08885

Robots as Human Companions: A Review

Abstract

The field of robotics has grown exponentially over the years, especially the social aspect has been given a lot of attention. Although there is a significant amount of research on robots being used as social human companions, there is a lack of a comprehensive study. The lack of knowledge includes the types of robots used, their features, interaction modalities and deployment scenarios. To address this knowledge gap, we have conducted a systematic literature review of 98 relevant articles. The findings suggest that anthropomorphic and zoomorphic robots are more popular as human companions while there is a lack of interest in functional and caricatured robots. Also, human-like and animal-like features are implemented more in them. A lack of utilizing the mobility of robots can be seen in the research and thus outdoor implementation of companion robots is seen very rarely. Moreover, the understanding of Human-Robot Companionship needs a clearer definition.

Role: Supervisor

Type: Full Paper

Conference: Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems

Stats: h5-index: 24

Date: 2022

Co-Authors: Eshtiak Ahmed and Juho Hamari

PDF Cite Association for Information Systems

BibTeX

SIGCHI

Eshtiak Ahmed, Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk and Juho Hamari. 2022. Robots as Human Companions: A Review. In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22). Association for Information Systems, United States. https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246

APA

Ahmed, E., Buruk, O., & Hamari, J. (2022). Robots as Human Companions: A Review. In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22). United States, Association for Information Systems, https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246

MLA

Ahmed, Eshtiak et al. "Robots as Human Companions: A Review." In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22), United States, Association for Information Systems, 2022, https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246

Harvard

Ahmed, E., Buruk, O., and Hamari, J. (2022). ‘Robots as Human Companions: A Review’, In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22), United States: Association for Information Systems, https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246

Vancouver

Ahmed E, Buruk O, Hamari J. Robots as Human Companions: A Review. In: Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22). United States: Association for Information Systems; 2022. Available from: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246

Chicago

Ahmed, Eshtiak, Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk, and Juho Hamari. "Robots as Human Companions: A Review." In Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22), United States, Association for Information Systems, (2022): https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246

ISO960

AHMED, E.; BURUK, O.; HAMARI, J. Robots as Human Companions: A Review. In: Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS '22). United States: Association for Information Systems, 2022. https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2022/246