Call for Participants – Take a Walk with a Mobile Robot (Spot from Boston Dynamics) Companion in the Forest

We are looking for volunteers to take part in a research study on human–robot interaction in nature. The study explores how walking in a natural environment together with a robot companion may influence people’s experiences and feelings of connectedness to nature.

What will you do?

• You will be asked to take a walk in a forested area near Hervantajarvi (Map pinpoint link to parking), with a robot.
• During the walk, you will experience different engagement and authoritative behavior from the robot.
• After each walk, you will complete short questionnaires about your experiences and feelings.
• Finally, you will attend a semi-structured interview.

Duration

The whole session will take about 60 minutes, including briefing and debriefing.

Who can participate?

We are looking for participants who are:

• Between 18 and 65 years old
• Comfortable walking outdoors on uneven ground for about 20–30 minutes
• Fluent in English (for instructions and questionnaires)
• No prior experience with robots is required.

Location

The study will take place in the Hervantajarvi forest area Uimarannan pysäköintialue, easily reachable from anywhere in Tampere via Tram. More detailed directions will be provided after registration.

Participation & Compensation

• Participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time without giving a reason.
• You will receive a small thank-you gift for your time (you can choose from several options upon registration.

How to sign up

If you are interested, please navigate to the recruitment page, fill up your information details and book an available timeslot. After you have completed your registration, we will provide you with more details on practicalities.

Recruitment page: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=r0Rp-nzM2EyRVMARMnmJEFeanhjSmcpKp9jBfZtQQ-pUQldENVlYQjEzWEwwS1FOS0ZOSDFIMldMMy4u

Information & Privacy

Please find the information sheet of the study here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e6XKAUvoazTIu6PG8mMjxne79_Bjlq_B/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108571060967317272286&rtpof=true&sd=true

The privacy notice for the study is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CieF_S-WxLRGk0rCA_BsQB8d1zZOge7w/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108571060967317272286&rtpof=true&sd=true

Got Questions?

Please contact the responsible researchers:

Eshtiak Ahmed

Doctoral Researcher, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences

Phone number: +358505272578

Email address: eshtiak.ahmed@tuni.fi

Dr. Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences

Email address: oguz.buruk@tuni.fi

Dr. Juho Hamari

Professor, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences

Email address: juho.hamari@tuni.fi