Wizard-of-Oz Interfaces as a Step Towards Autonomous HRI

Within the HRI community, Wizard-of-Oz (WoZ) methods have been extensively used to explore robot interactions. However, their wide usage has also been criticized as not giving good representation of how real, autonomous robots can interact. In this paper, I argue that thoughtfully designed Wizard-of-Oz control interfaces can enable robot designers to explore the interaction design space fur human robot interaction and also move them towards autonomous robot development. I provide two case studies of WoZ controlled robots and their interfaces and describe the design rationale behind them. I then provide an initial set of design considerations for future WoZ controllers as a way to improve how WoZ interactions can inform the design of autonomous behavior and move closer to fully autonomous robots.