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This paper explores the potential of robots to facilitate parent-child connections through robot-mediated communication, focusing on children aged 5-12. The study investigates two key design dimensions: the robot's behavior strategy (passive, reactive, proactive) and the mode of communication (synchronous, asynchronous). Results from in-home technology probes and a lab study with 20 families characterize how these dimensions shape parent-child interaction, revealing tensions around initiative, timing, and privacy, while also highlighting opportunities for supporting everyday connectedness.
Robots can strengthen family bonds, but only if designers carefully consider the robot's initiative and communication timing, as families experience tensions around privacy and control.
The sense of family connectedness may support positive outcomes including individual well-being, resilience, and healthy family functioning. However, as technologies advance, they often replace human-human interactions instead of nurturing them. In this work, we investigate how robot-facilitated communication tools might instead create new opportunities for family connection. We conducted two studies with families with children aged 5-12. We first explored the design space through in-home technology probe sessions with six families. These probes inspired us to explore two key interaction design dimensions: the robot's behavior strategy (passive, reactive, proactive) and the mode of communication (synchronous, asynchronous). We then conducted a laboratory study with 20 families to examine how the two dimensions shaped parent-child interaction and connection. Our findings characterize how parents and children appropriated robot-mediated exchanges, the tensions they experienced around initiative, timing, and privacy, and the opportunities they envisioned for supporting everyday connectedness.
