The Human Intention: A Taxonomy Attempt and Its Applications to Robotics

Despite a surge in robotics research dedicated to inferring and understanding human intent, a universally accepted definition remains elusive since existing works often equate human intention with specific task-related goals. This article seeks to address this gap by examining the multifaceted nature of intention. Drawing on insights from psychology, it attempts to consolidate a definition of intention into a comprehensible framework for a broader audience. The article classifies different types of intention based on psychological and communication studies, offering guidance to researchers shifting from pure technical enhancements to a more human-centric perspective in robotics. It then demonstrates how various robotics studies can be aligned with these intention categories. Finally, through in-depth analyses of collaborative search and object transport use cases, the article underscores the significance of considering the diverse facets of human intention.