NarraGuide: an LLM-based Narrative Mobile Robot for Remote Place Exploration

Abstract

Robotic telepresence enables users to navigate and experience remote environments. However, effective navigation and situational awareness depend on users' prior knowledge of the environment, limiting the usefulness of these systems for exploring unfamiliar places. We explore how integrating location-aware LLM-based narrative capabilities into a mobile robot can support remote exploration. We developed a prototype system, called NarraGuide, that provides narrative guidance for users to explore and learn about a remote place through a dialogue-based interface. We deployed our prototype in a geology museum, where remote participants (n=20) used the robot to tour the museum. Our findings reveal how users perceived the robot's role, engaged in dialogue in the tour, and expressed preferences for bystander encountering. Our work demonstrates the potential of LLM-enabled robotic capabilities to deliver location-aware narrative guidance and enrich the experience of exploring remote environments.

References in corpus (8)

• VirtuWander: Enhancing Multi-modal Interaction for Virtual Tour Guidance through Large Language Models
• VoicePilot: Harnessing LLMs as Speech Interfaces for Physically Assistive Robots
• REX: Designing User-centered Repair and Explanations to Address Robot Failures
• WanderGuide: Indoor Map-less Robotic Guide for Exploration by Blind People
• "This really lets us see the entire world:" Designing a conversational telepresence robot for homebound older adults
• Periscope: A Robotic Camera System to Support Remote Physical Collaboration
• Beyond Omakase: Designing Shared Control for Navigation Robots with Blind People
• Designing for Human Operations on the Moon: Challenges and Opportunities of Navigational HUD Interfaces