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A telepresence robot is a device that allows people to participate in video conferences on a moveable platform from a remote location. The users can remotely control the robot’s motion and interact with each other through a video screen. Such systems, which were originally designed to promote social interaction between people, have become popular i...
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This study aims to probe how children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attribute false belief to a social robot and predict its action accordingly. Twenty 5- to 7-year-old children with ASD and 20 age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children participated in two false belief tasks adapted for robot settings (change-of-locat...
Citations
... This would allow feedback, warnings, muting student volume or disabling TPR movement to maintain classroom control. Zhang et al. (2018) developed an educational TPR capable of autonomous navigation, targeted student engagement, audio detection, speech recognition, face-to-face interaction, generating maps and teacher control using face detection. The system also facilitated leveraging classroom devices for teaching support, enhancing instructor credibility and improving the usability of educational platforms. ...
Purpose
This study aims to enhance the understanding of the current research landscape regarding the utilisation of telepresence robots (TPRs) in education.
Design/methodology/approach
The bibliometric and thematic analysis of research publications on TPRs was conducted using papers in the Scopus database up to 2023. The final analysis focused on 53 papers that adhered to the selection criteria. A qualitative analysis was performed on this set of papers.
Findings
The analysis found a rising trend in TPR publications, mostly from the USA as conference papers and journal articles. However, these publications lacked technology integration frameworks, acceptance models and specific learning design models. TPRs have proven effective in various learning environments, fostering accessible education, better communication, engagement and social presence. TPRs can bridge geographical gaps, facilitate knowledge sharing and promote collaboration. Obstacles to implementation include technical, physical, social and emotional challenges. Publications were grouped into four thematic categories: didactic methods of using TPRs, TPRs for educational inclusivity, TPR as a teacher mediator and challenges in using TPRs. Despite the significant potential of TPRs, their broader adoption in education is still facing challenges.
Research limitations/implications
This research solely analysed research papers in the Scopus database, limiting TPR publications with the keywords “telepresence robots”, “learning”, “teaching” and “education”, excluding studies with different other keywords.
Originality/value
This study enhances understanding of TPR research in education, highlighting its pedagogical implications. It identifies a gap in the inclusion of technology integration frameworks, acceptance models and learning design models, indicating a need for further research and development.
... For example, Okamura and Tanaka developed a remote teaching robot system for elderly people to teach children [25]. In addition, Zhang et al. developed a telepresence robot [26] that is remote-controlled by a teacher but can also detect students and navigate itself. Similarly, Bravo et al. developed robots that tell stories to the students for science education, where the robots' motion could be operated remotely by a human operator [27]. ...
This paper describes a robotic system that supports the remote teaching of technical drawing. The aim of the system is to enable a remote class of paper-based technical drawing, where the students draw the drawing in a classroom, and the teacher gives instructions to the students from a remote place while confirming the paper drawing. The robotic system has a document camera for confirming the paper, a projector, a flat screen to project a cursor on the paper, and a video conference system for communication between the teacher and the students. We conducted two experiments. The first experiment verified the usefulness of a projected cursor. Eight participants evaluated the comprehensibility of the drawing check instruction with or without the projected cursor, and the results suggested that the use of the cursor made the instructions more comprehensible. The second experiment was conducted in a real drawing class. We asked the students in the class to answer a questionnaire to evaluate the robotic system. The result showed that the students had a good impression (useful, easy to use, and fun) of the system. The contribution of our work is twofold. First, it enables a teacher in a remote site to point to a part of the paper to enhance the interaction. Second, the developed system enabled both the students and the teacher to view the paper from their own viewpoints.
... These 12 studies included a wide variety of research strategies and methods, such as experiment (Janard and Marurngsith, 2017;Chen et al., 2022), institutional and mixed-method case study (Rinfret, 2020;Liao et al., 2022), online survey (Khadri, 2021), developmental research (Zhang et al., 2018), simulation (Mudd et al., 2020), semi-structured interviews (Jadhav et al., 2018;Johannessen et al., 2022), mixed methods approach with the interview data, field notes, and transcripts of conversations captured on video (Liao and Lu, 2018), video analysis (Jakonen and Jauni, 2022), and a review paper (Chang, 2019). The study subjects consisted of students (e.g. ...
Purpose
Telepresence robots (TPRs) are an emerging field of application and research that have received attention from various disciplines, including computer science, telehealth and education. The purpose of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on TPR in the Web of Science database from 1980 to 2022 to gain a better understanding of the state of research on TPRs and explore the role of pedagogical and psychological aspects in this research.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis of research publications on TPRs was made on the basis of papers published in the Web of Science database from 1980 to 2022. The following research questions were proposed: What are the main tendencies in publication years, document types, countries of origin, source titles, publication authors, affiliations of authors and the most cited articles related to TPRs? What are the main topics discussed in the publications from the perspective of psychology? What are the main topics discussed in the publications from the perspective of educational sciences?
Findings
The results indicate that it is in the computer science where most of the existing research has been conducted, whereas the interest in the psychology and educational science has been relatively low. The greatest regional contributor has been the USA, whereas the effort in the European Union lags behind. Research publications in psychology in the Web of Science database related to TPRs can be grouped into three broad thematic categories: features of TPRs, degree of social presence compared to physical presence or other mediated technologies and opportunities for using TPRs. The results suggest that from the perspective of psychology, TPRs are one of the approaches that could enable greater social presence in remote communication. Most of the analysed papers in educational sciences investigated the opportunities of using TPRs in various educational fields. However, while the findings of the studies indicated significant potential of TPRs for education, their acceptance for wider use is still challenged.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this research are that this study only analysed research papers in the Web of Science database and therefore only covers a limited number of scientific papers published in the field of psychology and educational sciences on TPRs. In addition, only publications with the term “telepresence robots” in the topic area of the Web of Science database were analysed. Therefore, several relevant studies are not discussed in this paper that are not reflected in the Web of Science database or were related to other keywords.
Originality/value
The field of TPRs has not been explored using a bibliographic analysis of publications in the Web of Science database from the perspective of psychology and educational sciences. The findings of this paper will help researchers and academic staff better understand the state of research on TPRs and the pedagogical and psychological aspects addressed in this research.
... During the last decade, TPRs have gained more attention in universities, due to the need of teaching personnel to find new technologies and methods that enable them to better connect with distance students (Kennedy, 2016;Zhang et al., 2018;Corsby & Bryant, 2020;Khadri, 2021). For example, the Michigan State University has been experimenting with various types of TPRs in a hybrid program where students can attend the same classes in person and remotely since 2015. ...
... Previous research on TPRs in the educational environment has also demonstrated that TPRs can promote social interaction and collaborative learning through by supporting the social dimension of the learning process. This allows students to more meaningfully participate in (in-person) group work and navigate through remote learning environments (Cha et al., 2017;Soares et al., 2017;Reis et al., 2018;Zhang et al., 2018;Ahumada-Newhart & Olson, 2019;Gonnot et al., 2019;Ahumada-Newhart & Eccles, 2020;Rosenberg-Kima et al., 2020). Bell et al. (2016) examined the feeling of presence of distance students in hybrid teaching using TPRs and video conferencing. ...
... The literature highlights the following limitations when employing TPRs in the educational context: 1) connectivity issues-bad Wi-Fi or mobile connection would require human assistance; 2) interaction with the environment-the inability to physically manipulate objects degrade user experience; 3) less social presence-when compared to in-person interaction, TPRs are difficult to use for spontaneous social interaction; 4) navigation of the robot (manoeuvrability)-navigating a TPR can be difficult; 5) narrow field of view offered by the robot's camera; 6) the quality of audio/video transmission could be improved and can hinder interaction with others; 7) privacy and legal concerns; 8) power consumption and battery-short Frontiers in Robotics and AI frontiersin.org 04 battery life can degrade user experience; 9) inclusion (10) cost-TPRs are relatively costly to purchase and maintain (Bell, 2017;Zhang et al., 2018;Yousif, 2021;Wernbacher et al., 2022). Challenges also exist in combining functionalities such as adjustable height, system stability, low-speed control, and motion control for slopes and sudden inclines, and more work is required in these areas to improve the safety of TPRs. ...
The interest towards using telepresence robots in a variety of educational contexts is growing, as they have a great potential to enhance the educational experience of remote learners and provide support for teachers. This paper describes a study, examining the perception of Georgian university personnel about the use of telepresence robots in education. This exploratory research aimed to obtain evidence-based information on how the personnel (16 persons) from eight Georgian universities perceived the telepresence robots’ role in enhancing learning and teaching, and what challenges, benefits, opportunities, weaknesses and threats would characterise these robots. The results of the study revealed that the university personnel perceived telepresence robots to have a great potential to enhance educational activities. In addition, the participants indicated the major challenges, benefits, opportunities, weaknesses and threats, regarding integrating telepresence robotics into the teaching and learning in Georgia. Recommendations for future research are also presented.
... Over the past decade, TP robots have gained more attention in universities as faculties need to find new technologies and methods that allow them to better engage with remote students [3,[24][25]. For example, several universities demonstrate good practice in the use of TP robots: Michigan State University [26], Duke University School of Nursing [27], University of Colorado Boulder, Oral Roberts University and Florida International University [1,3], and University of Akureyri in Northern Iceland [7]. ...
Recent literature points to emerging interest in using telepresence robots in higher education. This use is often challenged by insufficient knowledge and immature expectations that teachers have about the technical abilities of telepresence robots.
In this study, we investigated how the technology of telepresence robotics was perceived by higher education teachers with no previous experience with these robots. We also examined how this perception changed after a workshop where the teachers experimented with the robots.Fifteen staff members from Tallinn Technical University and Tallinn University took part in the study. The results reveal that the first hands-on experience with telepresence robots changes remarkably the teachers’ expectations and understanding about the telepresence robots. In particular, the participants gained a better understanding of the technology, of the opportunities it provides and about its limitations.KeywordsTelepresence robotsEducational robotsDistance learningSocial presenceRemote learningHigher educationTeachers’ perceptions
... (2) Use simulation and optimization to familiarize students with the concepts and theories. For example, reference [3] introduced how to give remote robotics lessons by simulation and optimization. (3) Employ multimedia. ...
Distance/online learning is becoming a necessary form at academic institutions, and the growth in distance/online learning has been outpacing enrollment growth. The pandemic has been even further pushing distance/online learning to the peak based on the census from the United States Census Bureau. According to the data of EducationData.org, 98% of the institutions have moved most of the in-person classes to the online sections. The online robotics classes are also currently provided online across the country. Because the robotics class is a kind of intensive hands-on class, the online course prevents the students from implementing various experiments. The student will suffer difficulties in understanding the advanced concepts and theories. Therefore, it is necessary to let the students have equal chances to practice via hands-on projects. The internet of things (IoT) has been integrated into the robotics classes in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET). The basic idea is to use the internet to implement IoT-based projects that combine wireless sensor networks, online learning management systems, and remote-control techniques to realize the learners' remote collaboration and immersive feeling. In an IoT-based project, a robot spider is taken to show the implementing procedures. This project combined several cutting-edge techniques, including vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping and object detection. The students can have the chance to broaden their horizons of knowledge by using machine learning libraries and tools. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the IoT application, the statistics of the students' performance were analyzed after the classes over three semesters. The results show that the students' hands-on skills are acquired as desired, their enthusiasm for robotics is improved, and their performance can compare with the in-person sessions.
... Similarly, prelicensure nursing students also used telepresence robots for clinical simulations [44,45]. Zhang et al. reported the use of telepresence robots for remotely located teachers to give lectures in K-12 settings that integrate facial recognition and directional sound and distance features [46]. ...
While telepresence robots have increasingly become accepted in diverse settings, the research on their acceptance in educational contexts has been underdeveloped. This study analyzed how the use intention of telepresence robots can be influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived risk for students, faculty, and staff in higher education. Survey data were collected from 60 participants with direct operator experience with a variety of telepresence robots deployed in a large research university in the Midwest region of the United States. Path analysis results indicated that perceived usefulness was the only significant direct predictor of use intention of telepresence robots. Both perceived ease of use and subjective norm had a significant positive effect on perceived usefulness. Subjective norm also had a significant positive indirect effect on use intention, mediated by perceived usefulness. Perceived risk had a negative effect on perceived ease of use. These findings indicated that the usefulness of robots was central to operators’ decisions to use telepresence robots. Therefore, design choice for telepresence robots should prioritize usefulness. Secondly, the design of telepresence robots should minimize complexity for the end user and minimize cognitive demand. Having nominal difficulty of use would also facilitate multiple embodiments by combining telepresence robots with other technologies to support more rich social interactions.
... Remote learners are susceptible to failing to benefit from peer-mediated learning and active social interactions (Corsby & Bryant, 2020;Kreijns et al., 2002). There are numerous studies that investigated the general positive impacts of educational robotics on enhancing academic, communication and social skills of students and offering them impactful learning experiences to enhance their interest, learning, engagement, and academic achievement at various education levels (e.g., Anwar et al., 2019;Barker & Ansorge, 2007;Benitti, 2012;Corsby & Bryant, 2020;Gonnot et al., 2019;Kory et al., 2013;Petre & Price, 2004;Rubenstein et al., 2015;Zhang et al., 2018). Furthermore, robots can enhance collaborative learning where they can incorporate the social dimension in the learning process (Gonnot et al., 2019;Reis et al., 2019;Rosenberg-Kima et al., 2020). ...
... Telepresence robots hold great potentials to make virtual transnational education more immersive through their abilities to allow students to communicate with and navigate through remote educational environments. During the last decade, telepresence robots have gained more attention and widespread popularity in university classrooms, due to the need of teaching staff to find new technologies and methods that enable them to better connect with distance education students (Corsby & Bryant, 2020;Kennedy, 2016;Zhang et al., 2018). Lister (2020) defines robotic telepresence as the system that "provides the ability for a remote access participant to see and be seen, to hear and be heard, and to move a self-representing mechanism freely in a given space in order to foster engagement and social interactions" (p. ...
... So, students at their home country can see more than static shots of the classroom. Telepresence robots can empower students to contribute to classroom discussions, move to different areas of the classroom to engage in group work (Ahumada-Newhart & Eccles, 2020; Ahumada-Newhart & Olson, 2019; Zhang et al., 2018). There are a wide variety of commercially flexible telepresence robots that could be used for many purposes in many contexts including: hospitals, elderly care, offices, and education. ...
There is a growing interest in employing telepresence robots in different educational contexts due to their great potentials to enhance and improve educational experiences for remote learners. However, there is little use of telepresence robots in virtual transnational education contexts in developing countries. There is a lack of knowledge about university academics’ perceptions regarding the future use of telepresence robots to enhance virtual transnational education contexts. This exploratory research aims to fill this gap by seeking to have evidence-based information on whether telepresence robots as a new emerging technology is perceived among university academics as a useful tool for enhancing virtual transnational education or not. This study also seeks to better understand university academics’ perceptions of obstacles that may hinder them from using telepresence robots and the support that they will need. A sample of 46 Egyptian university academics participated in this study. The results of the study revealed that the academics perceived telepresence robots to have a great potential to enhance virtual transnational education. The academics also perceived telepresence robotics to have positive effects on educational activities. Furthermore, the participants indicated a number of barriers regarding integrating telepresence robotics into the teaching and learning activities and identified the types of support they will need. The uptake of telepresence robots to enhance virtual transnational education could lead to a larger international learner population, better virtual transnational education, and more university revenue. Recommendations for future research are also presented.
... One is to use online learning to teach the coding skill as introduced in reference [10]. The second is to implement the simulation as discussed in reference [11,12]. The third is to employ the videos to demonstrate the construction of the robots as shown in reference [ 13 ]. ...
The distance/online robotics classes are currently implemented wildly all over the world due to the pandemic. Robotics classes are the ones that require intensive hands-on practices, especially at the colleges which provide mechanical engineering technology (MET) programs. MET programs mainly focus on hands-on skills instead of theoretical analysis. One of the educational goals in MET is to cultivate future technologists rather than researchers. Unfortunately, the remote classes prevent the students from implementing various experiments. As a result, the remote classes impair the students' deeper understanding of the advanced concepts and theories and make collaborative learning difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the students' collaboration on the hands-on projects in the remote robotics classes. To do this, the internet of things (IoT) based projects are devised and implemented. These projects are characterized by the usage of the internet, wireless sensor networks, remote control systems, remote collaboration among group members, modular design (modularity), and remote data exchanging protocols. The structures of the robots are designed by computer-aided design software based on modularity, and the designed modules are shared in class among different groups. The remote communication software and apps are provided to the students to facilitate their collaborations. The robots are equipped with sensors that are integrated into the wireless network to enable remote data exchanging. To introduce the proposed practice in detail, a project of a smart robot car based on IoT is taken as an instance. The project used the IoT-ready wireless sensor and actuator framework to enable remote collaboration. After the implementation of the projects, the students can increase the immersive feeling in the remote classes, and then, help them to master the theories, know the usage of the hardware and software, and gain rich experience in robotics.
... ▪ VR -2 studies [34,44] ▪ AR -1 study [43] ▪ Computer Vision -1 study [21] ▪ Computer Vision and Speech Recognition -1 study [38] ▪ Holographic Projections -1 study [35] From the data obtained, we can see that a small number of studies use TR along with other technologies. These technologies could enhance the user experience. ...
The usage of telepresence robots can have a huge positive impact on education. They can provide remote access to the classrooms. This would be really helpful for students who are absent from school. It was especially noticeable during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic. This technology can complement the online teaching with displaying classroom boards, performing laboratory exercises that require better view and movement, and so on. Here, we show the usage of telepresence robots in education and cases when robots can be used for remote learning. The main goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of studies related to the application of telepresence robots in education in the last 4 years.
