Estimating User Engagement in Human Robot Interaction Using a Dynamic Bayesian Network

Abstract

Engagement is a key concept in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), as high engagement often leads to improved user experience and task performance. However, accurately estimating engagement during interactions is challenging. In this study, we propose a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) to infer user engagement from various modalities, including head rotation, eye movements, facial expressions captured through visual sensors, as well as facial temperature variations measured by a thermal camera. Data was gathered from a human-robot interaction (HRI) experiment, where a robot guided participants and encouraged them to share their thoughts and insights on environmental issues. Our approach successfully combines these diverse features to offer a thorough assessment of user engagement. The network was tested on its capacity to classify participants as either engaged or not engaged, achieving an accuracy of 0.83 and an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.82. These findings underscore the strength of our DBN in detecting user engagement during interactions.