Pop-Up Encounters with Spot: Shaping Public Perceptions of Robots through Hands-On Experience

Abstract

Public attitudes toward robots are often shaped by indirect exposure (e.g., media, staged demos), leaving open how direct, hands-on experience influences acceptance. In this study, we investigate how interacting with Boston Dynamics’ Spot, an agile, state-of-the-art quadruped robot, in a public pop-up booth affects perceptions of comfort and suitability across everyday and high-stakes environments. In a walk-up, 10-week pop-up booth, participants (N=753) completed pre–post surveys before and after driving Spot within curated Drive Scenes (Factory, Home, Hospital, Outdoor/Disaster). Measures captured comfort encountering robots and perceived suitability across Rated Contexts (RCs), affective reactions, and open-ended reflections. Hands-on control significantly increased comfort across all RCs, with the largest gains in Outdoor/Disaster, and increased perceived suitability—most in Home/Office/Hospital where baselines were lower. Improvements generalized beyond the experienced Drive Scene to other contexts. Age, gender, and prior familiarity moderated baseline levels and some changes, but hands-on exposure raised scores for all groups and attenuated several gaps. Thematic analysis showed memorable moments tied to locomotion, terrain adaptation, and expressive tilt; imagined roles consistently emphasized domestic assistance (e.g., cleaning, mobility), with entertainment/play and companionship emerging post-interaction. Together, these results demonstrate that brief, agency-granting encounters with a high-capability quadruped can broaden where people see robots as appropriate and diversify envisioned roles, offering a scalable model for public-facing HRI that fosters comfort, enthusiasm, and acceptance.