Effect of physical movement of robotic displays in public spaces on passersby’s attraction and sustained viewing

Abstract Robotic displays, which consist of flat-panel display(s) mounted on a wheeled robot, are increasingly being used in public spaces, but their effectiveness has not been thoroughly verified. This study examines the impact of robotic displays on passersby’s attraction and sustained viewing. Specifically, we observed their reactions to a robotic display’s unidirectional movement that accompanies passersby as they walk, and we compared these reactions with those to a large fixed screen with animated content. We conducted a one-day in-the-wild experiment where the display movement and animation were controlled using a Wizard-of-Oz protocol at a public exhibition event. An analysis of video-coded observations of over 400 passersby shows that the robotic display was noticed by 41.2% more passersby and held their gazes 171% longer than the animated screen, suggesting that the physical movement of robotic displays enhances passerby attraction and sustained viewing. In addition, we derive design implications from our results for the behavior of robotic displays in public spaces.