  How should zoomorphic, or bio-inspired, robots indicate to humans that
interactions will be safe and fun? Here, a survey is used to measure how human
willingness to interact with a simulated butterfly robot is affected by
different flight patterns. Flapping frequency, flap to glide ratio, and
flapping pattern were independently varied based on a literature review of
butterfly and moth flight. Human willingness to interact with these simulations
and demographic information were self-reported via an online survey. Low
flapping frequency and greater proportion of gliding were preferred, and prior
experience with butterflies strongly predicted greater interaction willingness.
The preferred flight parameters correspond to migrating butterfly flight
patterns that are rarely directly observed by humans and do not correspond to
the species that inspired the wing shape of the robot model. The most realistic
butterfly simulations were among the least preferred. An analysis of animated
butterflies in popular media revealed a convergence on slower, less realistic
flight parameters. This iterative and interactive artistic process provides a
model for determining human preferences and identifying functional requirements
of robots for human interaction. Thus, the robotic design process can be
streamlined by leveraging animated models and surveys prior to construction.
