Argumentation-Based Dialogue Games for Shared Control in Human-Robot Systems

Dialogue can support exchange of ideas and discussion of options as a means to enable shared decision making for human-robot collaboration. However, dialogue that supports dynamic, evidence-backed exchange of ideas is a major challenge for today's human-robot systems. The work presented here investigates the application of argumentation-based dialogue games as the means to facilitate flexible interaction, including unscripted changes in initiative. Two main contributions are provided in this paper. First, a methodology for implementing multiple types of argumentation-based dialogues for human-robot interaction is detailed. This includes explanation about which types of dialogues are appropriate given the beliefs of the participants and how multiple dialogues can occur simultaneously while maintaining a consistent set of beliefs for the participants. Second, a formal definition is presented for the Treasure Hunt Game (THG), a test environment that provides rich opportunities for experimentation in shared human-robot control, as well as motivating and engaging experiences for human subjects.