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Towards Robotic Companions: Understanding Handler-Guide Dog Interactions for Informed Guide Dog Robot Design

Hochul Hwang, Hee-Tae Jung, Nicholas A Giudice, Joydeep Biswas, Sunghoon Ivan Lee, Donghyun Kim

TL;DR

The paper addresses the scarcity and maintenance burden of live guide dogs for BLV individuals by conducting a user-centered qualitative study with 23 handlers and 5 trainers (plus 7 observation sessions) to uncover requirements for a guide dog robot. It identifies three core themes: limitations in current handler-guide dog interactions (environmental awareness, one-way communication, and adaptability), the need for ongoing personalization through continuous interactions, and stakeholder perspectives on guide dog robots (trust and agency). Based on these findings, the authors propose a first set of user-driven design guidelines spanning hardware, sensing, and interfaces to inform the development of legged guide dog robots and facilitate their adoption. The study emphasizes trust-building and lifelong personalization as essential for real-world deployment, aiming to bridge the gap between guide dog practice and robot design within the BLV community.

Abstract

Dog guides are favored by blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals for their ability to enhance independence and confidence by reducing safety concerns and increasing navigation efficiency compared to traditional mobility aids. However, only a relatively small proportion of BLV individuals work with dog guides due to their limited availability and associated maintenance responsibilities. There is considerable recent interest in addressing this challenge by developing legged guide dog robots. This study was designed to determine critical aspects of the handler-guide dog interaction and better understand handler needs to inform guide dog robot development. We conducted semi-structured interviews and observation sessions with 23 dog guide handlers and 5 trainers. Thematic analysis revealed critical limitations in guide dog work, desired personalization in handler-guide dog interaction, and important perspectives on future guide dog robots. Grounded on these findings, we discuss pivotal design insights for guide dog robots aimed for adoption within the BLV community.

Towards Robotic Companions: Understanding Handler-Guide Dog Interactions for Informed Guide Dog Robot Design

TL;DR

The paper addresses the scarcity and maintenance burden of live guide dogs for BLV individuals by conducting a user-centered qualitative study with 23 handlers and 5 trainers (plus 7 observation sessions) to uncover requirements for a guide dog robot. It identifies three core themes: limitations in current handler-guide dog interactions (environmental awareness, one-way communication, and adaptability), the need for ongoing personalization through continuous interactions, and stakeholder perspectives on guide dog robots (trust and agency). Based on these findings, the authors propose a first set of user-driven design guidelines spanning hardware, sensing, and interfaces to inform the development of legged guide dog robots and facilitate their adoption. The study emphasizes trust-building and lifelong personalization as essential for real-world deployment, aiming to bridge the gap between guide dog practice and robot design within the BLV community.

Abstract

Dog guides are favored by blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals for their ability to enhance independence and confidence by reducing safety concerns and increasing navigation efficiency compared to traditional mobility aids. However, only a relatively small proportion of BLV individuals work with dog guides due to their limited availability and associated maintenance responsibilities. There is considerable recent interest in addressing this challenge by developing legged guide dog robots. This study was designed to determine critical aspects of the handler-guide dog interaction and better understand handler needs to inform guide dog robot development. We conducted semi-structured interviews and observation sessions with 23 dog guide handlers and 5 trainers. Thematic analysis revealed critical limitations in guide dog work, desired personalization in handler-guide dog interaction, and important perspectives on future guide dog robots. Grounded on these findings, we discuss pivotal design insights for guide dog robots aimed for adoption within the BLV community.
Paper Structure (37 sections, 2 figures, 4 tables)

This paper contains 37 sections, 2 figures, 4 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Shared Responsibility in Orientation and Mobility Among Handlers and Guide Dogs
  4. Formation of the Handler-Guide Dog Unit
  5. Matching
  6. Connection and positioning
  7. Handler-Guide Dog Interaction and Prior Studies
  8. Needs for a User-Driven Guide Dog Robot Guideline
  9. Method
  10. Participants
  11. Procedure
  12. Data Collection
  13. Data Analysis
  14. Findings
  15. Critical Limitations of Interactions with Guide Dogs
  16. ...and 22 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Connection through the harness. (a) Various types of harness handles exist to match different guide dog handlers. For example, the offset harness on the right can be used for handlers who tend to step on their guide dog's foot due to their gait. (b) The handler is transitioning from grabbing an extended leash to grabbing both the leash and the harness handle before walking. (c) The handler is trained to be positioned on the right side of the guide dog while walking, specifically next to the hindquarters, often grabbing the leash and the harness handle with the left hand.
  • Figure 2: Observation of personalized stops. (a) The guide dog is trained to stop at tactile pavings from the guide dog school. (b) H21 trained her guide dog to stop at cracks in the sidewalk. (c) H21 also trained her guide dog to stop at larger cracks existing in H21's local community.