The Turkish Ice Cream Robot: Examining Playful Deception in Social Human-Robot Interactions

Abstract

Playful deception, a common feature in human social interactions, remains underexplored in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Inspired by the Turkish Ice Cream (TIC) vendor routine, we investigate how bounded, culturally familiar forms of deception influence user trust, enjoyment, engagement, and willingness-to-pay during robotic handovers. We design a robotic manipulator equipped with a custom end-effector and implement five TIC-inspired trick policies that deceptively delay the handover of an ice cream-shaped object. Through a mixed-design user study with 91 participants, we evaluate the effects of playful deception and interaction duration on user experience. Results reveal that TIC-inspired deception significantly enhances enjoyment and engagement, though reduces perceived safety and trust, suggesting a structured trade-off across the multi-dimensional aspects. Our findings demonstrate that playful deception can be a valuable design strategy for interactive robots in entertainment and engagement-focused contexts, while underscoring the importance of deliberate consideration of its complex trade-offs. Videos and user study snapshots are available on https://hyeonseong-kim98.github.io/turkish-ice-cream-robot/