ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (THRI) is a Gold Open Access journal that aims to be the leading peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal in human-robot interaction. It publishes issues on a quarterly basis.

Publication preference is given to articles that contribute to the state of the art or advance general knowledge, have broad interest, and are written to be intelligible to a wide range of audiences. Submitted articles must achieve a high standard of scholarship. Authors must ask themselves if their research is presented well and (1) advances understanding in the field of human-robot interaction, (2) adds state-of-the-art or general information to this field, or (3) challenges existing understanding in this area of research.

THRI encourages submission of well-written papers from all fields, including robotics, computer science, engineering, design, and the behavioral and social sciences. Published scholarly papers can address topics including how people interact with robots and robotic technologies, how to improve these interactions and make new kinds of interaction possible, and the effects of such interactions on organizations or society. The editors are also interested in receiving proposals for special issues on particular technical problems or that leverage research in HRI to advance other areas such as social computing, consumer behavior, health, and education.

Special Issue on Robo-Identity: Designing for Identity in the Converging World of Humans and Machines
提出日: 2024-12-05

Guest Editors:
• Minha Lee, Eindhoven University of Technology, m.lee@tue.nl
• Dimosthenis Kontogiorgos, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dkonto@mit.edu
• André Pereira, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, atap@kth.se

One emerging challenge in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research is to extensively explore the fluidity of
identities across devices and technologies and how we share our identity with robots' identities. Understanding
both human and artificial identities and investigating the why, when, and how they reside in an artificial body are
compelling but still underexplored topics. The concept of robot identity has attracted research attention, be it
identities represented on various forms of humanoid robots or more abstract designs. Beyond physical attributes,
it is important to delve into the nature of robot identity in society, such as how human identities can interact with
and be developed alongside robot identities.

The special issue follows the topic of human and non-human identities, which has been explored through a series
of three Robo-Identity workshops at the HRI conference since 2021. This burgeoning topic attracts
interdisciplinary researchers, ranging from engineers and designers to philosophers, demonstrating traction
across various fields and subfields that touch upon HRI. Focus points include strategies for robots or other forms
of artificial agents to analyze and synthesize human identity over time, techniques for evolving artificial identities,
the appropriateness of adapting identities across multiple embodiments, and the presentation of non-human
identity as co-evolving with human identities.

We see a pressing need for a more comprehensive investigation into the allocation and nature of identities within
robotic or other artificial entities. Building on existing work on multi-embodiment, we can foster collaborative
discourse on the intricate problem of artificial identity or robo-identity, catalyzed by the proliferation of diverse
interfaces and agents. Additionally, we aim to deepen discussions around balancing a distinct machine-like
identity, such as robotic speech, versus embracing blurred boundaries between human and machine, such as
emotionally expressive speech and dialogue that sounds human-like. Lastly, it is timely to explore strategies for
designing robots capable of adapting to the evolving identities of individuals and groups, methods for
accommodating changing human needs and preferences, and approaches for analyzing and synthesizing human
identity over time, reflecting the dynamic nature of robo-identity within societal contexts. Hence, we expect this
special issue to attract diverse contributions on the broad topic of identity.

By exploring the fluidity of identity, researchers and practitioners can contribute to creating technologies that not
only accommodate diverse societal needs but also actively work towards mitigating biases and promoting
inclusivity. We propose this special issue to provide a platform to incentivize further development and further
disseminate research on identity.

Topics
Exploring the multifaceted concept of artificial identity and its implications in the shared world. We invite original
research contributions, theoretical perspectives, datasets, case studies, and reviews that address various aspects
of identity, including but not limited to the following topics:
• Definitions and frameworks for understanding identity
• Designing systems as identity hosts
• Techniques for synthesizing and evolving artificial identities
• Implications of modalities (e.g., synthetic voice and emotional expressions) on identity
• Exploration of artificial identity in diverse forms and bodies
• Promoting inclusivity or mitigating social biases through the design of artificial identities
• Strategies for robots to analyze and synthesize human identity over time
• Adapting to the fluidity of human identities over time with robots and artificial agents
• Personalized engagement and adaptation to changing user needs and preferences
• Applications of identity-aware robots in education, healthcare, or entertainment
• Methodology and systems that support identity migration/re-embodiment
• Balancing machine-like vs. human-like identities in design and interaction
• Ethical, societal, and privacy considerations in designing, presenting, and interacting with artificial identities
• Exploring psychological impacts and philosophical discussions on identity
• Evaluation and user studies on the perception, acceptance, and impact of artificial identities
• Cross-cultural and long-term studies on the evolution of human-robot relationships and identities
• Interdisciplinary approaches to studying and designing artificial identities

Important Dates
• Submissions deadline: December 5, 2024
• First-round review decisions: April 5, 2025
• Deadline for revision submissions: July 5, 2025
• Notification of second decision: September 5, 2025
• Deadline for revisions: December 5, 2025
• Notification of final decisions: January 15, 2026
• Tentative publication: February 15, 2026

Submission Information
ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open-access journal
using an online submission and manuscript tracking system. We welcome contributions from researchers and
practitioners across various disciplines to enrich the discourse on this important topic. Papers should be
formatted according to the guidelines of the THRI journal and submitted through the online submission system.
THRI does not have a page limit, but the submission length should suggest the weight of its contribution. Please
check out the THRI author guidelines (ACM TRANSACTIONS ON HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION Author Guidelines |
ACM Digital Library).

To submit your paper, please:
1. Go to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thri and login or follow the "Create an account" link to register.
2. After logging in, click the "Author" tab.
3. Follow the instructions to "Start New Submission"
4. Choose the paper type "SI: Robo-Identity: Designing for Identity in the Converging World of Humans and
Machines.”

For questions and further information, please contact m.lee@tue.nl, dkonto@mit.edu or atap@kth.se.