As urban landscapes evolve with the integration of autonomous technologies, researchers from Finland—Heli Väätäjä, Silja Tapio, and Jonna Häkkilä—set out to understand how dogs interact with one of the newest additions to city sidewalks: delivery robots. The study, presented at the 26th International Academic Mindtrek Conference, focused on behavioral responses in real-world settings.
Data were collected through an online survey of 212 dog owners whose pets encountered delivery robots during a grocery store’s multi-month pilot program. The findings offer a glimpse into how domesticated animals interpret and react to non-human, autonomous agents moving through public spaces.
According to the results, **61%** of dogs exhibited neutral behavior when encountering a delivery robot for the first time. However, **8% avoided** the robots, and **9% responded with hostile behaviors**, including barking, lunging, or heightened arousal. Notably, around 40% of the negatively reactive dogs did not habituate to the robots over time, suggesting a lasting discomfort or threat perception.
The researchers argue that these responses should inform future urban robot design, especially in terms of motion, size, and sensory outputs. Since dogs are frequent urban companions and play a critical role in the daily routines of many citizens, understanding their reactions could help in shaping public acceptance and safety of mobile robotic systems.
This study contributes to the growing field of human-animal-robot interaction, emphasizing that even non-verbal, non-human responses carry significance in the integration of technology into daily life.
Source: Väätäjä, H., Tapio, S., & Häkkilä, J. (2023). Exploring Dogs’ Reactions when Encountering Delivery Robots in Urban Environment. In Proceedings of the 26th International Academic Mindtrek Conference, October 2023. https://doi.org/10.1145/3625135.3625143
