Yong-Jin Liu

Yong-Jin Liu

Yong-Jin Liu is a tenured Full Professor with the Computer Science Department at Tsinghua University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2004 from Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. His research interests include computational geometry, computer graphics, computer aided design and pattern analysis.

Interactions with Reconfigurable Modular Robots Enhance Spatial Reasoning Performance

Published in IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 2019

Abstract: Reconfigurable modular robots (RMRobots) can change their shape and functionality (e.g., locomotion styles) to fit different environments, and have been widely investigated in applications, such as exploration and inspection. In this paper, we present a new application of RMRobots for improving human spatial ability which plays a significant role in developing an individual’s performance and achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Two user studies are conducted, and the results show that: 1) the task performance of interacting with RMRobots has a significant positive relationship with mental rotation, a widely used measure of spatial ability; and 2) interacting with RMRobots can effectively improve the performance on a task related to spatial reasoning skills according to behavioral data and electroencephalograph (EEG) indices. Our presented study broadens RMRobot research in the area of human-robot interaction.

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Recommended citation: Minjing Yu, Yong-Jin Liu, Yulin Zhang, Guozhen Zhao, Chun Yu, Yuanchun Shi. Interactions with Reconfigurable Modular Robots Enhance Spatial Reasoning Performance. IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems. Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 300-310, 2020.