Research on interpersonal distances, known as proxemics, suggests that the nature of our relationships is often reflected in the distance at which interaction partners feel comfortable and safe. Interpersonal distance is also known to be influenced by demographic and cultural factors. However, these factors have not been well studied in the context of human-robot interaction (HRI). We describe an online task which we developed to study proxemic preferences during HRI among Japanese and UK participants. A group of Japanese (N=48) and UK (N=44) adults watched 36 video clips of NAO robot walking towards the camera, which varied in: speed, angle of approach, camera height/eye level, or indoor vs outdoor setting. Participants stopped each video clip when NAO was at an appropriate distance to begin a conversation, deploying a “Say-when” paradigm. While Japanese participants were slower to stop the video clip, thus allowing the robot to advance further towards them, both cultural groups were quicker to stop the video for trials featuring head-on approaches. Further, head-on approaches were rated as more polite and interpersonal by both groups. Although limited to online set up and in need of further stimuli refinement and statistical power, the report might serve as a precursor for advancing an understanding of human judgements and social evaluations of robot proxemic behaviours.
