Virtual Reality as a Tool for Studying Diversity and Inclusion in Human-Robot Interaction: Advantages and Challenges

Abstract: This paper investigates the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) as a research tool for studying diversity and inclusion characteristics in the context of human-robot interactions (HRI). Some exclusive advantages of using VR in HRI are discussed, such as a controllable environment, the possibility to manipulate the variables related to the robot and the human-robot interaction, flexibility in the design of the robot and the environment, and advanced measurement methods related e.g. to eye tracking and physiological data. At the same time, the challenges of researching diversity and inclusion in HRI are described, especially in accessibility, cyber sickness and bias when developing VR-environments. Furthermore, solutions to these challenges are being discussed to fully harness the benefits of VR for the studying of diversity and inclusion.