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HRIStudio Project Backlog - Honors Thesis Research

Project Overview

Student: Sean O'Connor
Thesis Title: A Web-Based Wizard-of-Oz Platform for Collaborative and Reproducible Human-Robot Interaction Research
Timeline: Fall 2025 - Spring 2026
Current Date: September 23, 2025

Current Status Assessment

Platform Strengths

  • Core Platform Complete: Production-ready backend with 12 tRPC routers, 31 database tables
  • Visual Designer: Repository-based plugin system with 26+ core blocks
  • Type Safety: Clean TypeScript throughout, passes bun typecheck
  • Authentication: Role-based access control (Admin, Researcher, Wizard, Observer)
  • Development Environment: Comprehensive seed data and documentation

Critical Gaps

  • Wizard Interface: Needs complete revamp - current implementation insufficient
  • Robot Control: Not working yet - core functionality missing
  • NAO6 Integration: Cannot test without working robot control
  • Trial Execution: Dependent on wizard interface completion

Platform Constraints

  • Device Target: Laptop-only (no mobile/tablet optimization needed)
  • Robot Platform: NAO6 humanoid robot
  • Study Focus: Comparative usability study, not full platform development

Academic Timeline

Fall 2025 Semester

  • Current Date: September 23, 2025
  • Goal: Functional platform + IRB submission by end of December

Winter Break

  • December - January 2026: IRB approval process and final preparations

Spring 2026 Semester

  • January - February 2026: User study execution (10-12 participants)
  • March 2026: Data analysis and results drafting
  • April 2026: Thesis defense preparation and execution
  • May 2026: Final thesis submission

Research Study Design

Comparison Study

  • Control Group: Choregraphe (manufacturer software for NAO6)
  • Experimental Group: HRIStudio platform
  • Task: Recreate well-documented HRI experiment from literature
  • Participants: 10-12 non-engineering researchers (Psychology, Education, etc.)
  • Metrics: Methodological consistency, user experience, completion times, error rates

Success Criteria

  • Functional wizard interface for real-time experiment control
  • Reliable NAO6 robot integration
  • Reference experiment implemented in both platforms
  • Platform usable by non-programmers with minimal training
  • Comprehensive data collection for comparative analysis

Development Backlog by Timeline

Phase 1: Core Development (September 23 - October 31, 2025)

Goal: Get essential systems working - 5-6 weeks available

Week 1-2: Foundation (Sept 23 - Oct 6)

WIZARD-001: Wizard Interface Architecture - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a wizard, I need a functional interface to control experiments
  • Tasks:
    • Design wizard interface wireframes and user flow
    • Implement basic panel layout (trial info, current step, controls)
    • Create trial state management (start/pause/stop/complete)
    • Build step navigation and progress tracking
  • Deliverable: Basic wizard interface shell with navigation
  • Effort: 8 days

ROBOT-001: Robot Control Foundation - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a wizard, I need to send commands to NAO6 robot
  • Tasks:
    • Research and implement NAO6 WebSocket connection
    • Create basic action execution engine
    • Implement mock robot mode for development
    • Build connection status monitoring
  • Deliverable: Robot connection established with basic commands
  • Effort: 6 days

Week 3-4: Core Functionality (Oct 7 - Oct 20)

ROBOT-002: Essential NAO6 Actions - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a wizard, I need basic robot actions for experiments
  • Tasks:
    • Implement speech synthesis and playback
    • Add basic movement commands (walk, turn, sit, stand)
    • Create simple gesture library
    • Add LED color control
    • Implement error handling and recovery
  • Deliverable: NAO6 performs essential experiment actions reliably
  • Effort: 8 days

TRIAL-001: Trial Execution Engine - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a wizard, I need to execute experiment protocols step-by-step
  • Tasks:
    • Build trial state machine with database persistence
    • Implement step-by-step execution workflow
    • Create event logging with timestamps
    • Add manual intervention controls
    • Build trial completion and data export
  • Deliverable: Complete trial execution with data capture
  • Effort: 6 days

Week 5-6: Integration & Testing (Oct 21 - Oct 31)

INTEGRATION-001: End-to-End Workflow - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a researcher, I need complete workflow from design to execution
  • Tasks:
    • Connect visual designer to trial execution
    • Test complete workflow: design → schedule → execute → analyze
    • Fix critical bugs and performance issues
    • Validate data consistency throughout pipeline
  • Deliverable: Working end-to-end experiment workflow
  • Effort: 8 days

Phase 2: User Experience & Study Preparation (November 1-30, 2025)

Goal: Make platform usable and prepare study materials - 4 weeks available

Week 1-2: User Experience (Nov 1 - Nov 14)

UX-001: Non-Programmer Interface - HIGH PRIORITY

  • Story: As a psychology researcher, I need intuitive tools to recreate experiments
  • Tasks:
    • Simplify visual designer for non-technical users
    • Add contextual help and guided tutorials
    • Implement undo/redo functionality
    • Create error prevention and recovery mechanisms
    • Add visual feedback for successful actions
  • Deliverable: Interface usable by non-programmers
  • Effort: 10 days

Week 3-4: Study Foundation (Nov 15 - Nov 30)

STUDY-001: Reference Experiment - HIGH PRIORITY

  • Story: As a researcher, I need a validated experiment for comparison study
  • Tasks:
    • Select appropriate HRI experiment from literature
    • Implement in HRIStudio visual designer
    • Create equivalent Choregraphe implementation
    • Validate both versions work correctly
    • Document implementation decisions and constraints
  • Deliverable: Reference experiment working in both platforms
  • Effort: 8 days

IRB-001: IRB Application Preparation - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a researcher, I need IRB approval for user study
  • Tasks:
    • Draft complete IRB application
    • Create consent forms and participant materials
    • Design study protocols and procedures
    • Prepare risk assessment and mitigation plans
    • Design data collection and privacy protection measures
  • Deliverable: Complete IRB application ready for submission
  • Effort: 6 days

Phase 3: Polish & IRB Submission (December 1-31, 2025)

Goal: Finalize platform and submit IRB - 4 weeks available

Week 1-2: Platform Validation (Dec 1 - Dec 14)

VALIDATE-001: Platform Reliability - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a researcher, I need confidence the platform works reliably
  • Tasks:
    • Conduct extensive testing with multiple scenarios
    • Fix any critical bugs or stability issues
    • Test on different laptop configurations (Mac, PC, browsers)
    • Validate data collection and export functionality
    • Performance optimization for laptop hardware
  • Deliverable: Stable, reliable platform ready for study use
  • Effort: 10 days

TRAIN-001: Training Materials - HIGH PRIORITY

  • Story: As study participants, we need equivalent training for both platforms
  • Tasks:
    • Create HRIStudio training workshop materials
    • Develop Choregraphe training equivalent
    • Record instructional videos
    • Create quick reference guides and cheat sheets
    • Design hands-on practice exercises
  • Deliverable: Complete training materials for both platforms
  • Effort: 4 days

Week 3-4: Final Preparations (Dec 15-31)

IRB-002: IRB Submission - CRITICAL

  • Story: As a researcher, I need IRB approval to proceed with human subjects
  • Tasks:
    • Finalize IRB application with all supporting materials
    • Submit to university IRB committee
    • Respond to any initial questions or clarifications
    • Prepare for potential revisions or additional requirements
  • Deliverable: IRB application submitted and under review
  • Effort: 2 days

PILOT-001: Internal Pilot Testing - HIGH PRIORITY

  • Story: As a researcher, I need to validate study methodology
  • Tasks:
    • Recruit 2-3 internal pilot participants from target demographic
    • Run complete study protocol with both platforms
    • Test wizard interface reliability during real sessions
    • Identify and fix any procedural issues
    • Refine training materials based on feedback
    • Document lessons learned and methodology improvements
  • Deliverable: Validated study methodology ready for execution
  • Effort: 6 days

Phase 4: Study Execution (January - February 2026)

Goal: Execute user study with 10-12 participants

Study Preparation (January 2026)

RECRUIT-001: Participant Recruitment

  • Story: As a researcher, I need to recruit qualified study participants
  • Tasks:
    • Create participant screening survey
    • Recruit from Psychology, Education, and other non-engineering departments
    • Schedule study sessions to avoid conflicts
    • Send confirmation and preparation materials
  • Deliverable: 10-12 confirmed participants scheduled
  • Effort: Ongoing through January

EXECUTE-001: Study Session Management

  • Story: As a researcher, I need reliable execution of each study session
  • Tasks:
    • Create detailed session procedures and checklists
    • Implement real-time monitoring dashboard for study staff
    • Build backup procedures for technical failures
    • Create automated data validation after each session
    • Design post-session debriefing workflows
  • Deliverable: Reliable study execution infrastructure
  • Effort: 4 days

Data Collection (February 2026)

DATA-001: Comprehensive Data Collection

  • Story: As a researcher, I need rich data for comparative analysis
  • Tasks:
    • Automatic time-tracking for all participant actions
    • User interaction logging (clicks, errors, help usage)
    • Screen recording of participant sessions
    • Post-task survey integration
    • Experiment fidelity scoring system
  • Deliverable: Complete behavioral and performance data
  • Effort: Built into platform, minimal additional work

Phase 5: Analysis & Writing (March - May 2026)

Goal: Analyze results and complete thesis

Analysis Tools (March 2026)

ANALYSIS-001: Quantitative Analysis Support

  • Story: As a researcher, I need tools to analyze study results
  • Tasks:
    • Implement automated experiment fidelity scoring
    • Build statistical comparison tools for platform differences
    • Create completion time and error rate analysis
    • Generate charts and visualizations for thesis
    • Export data in formats suitable for statistical software (R, SPSS)
  • Deliverable: Analysis-ready data and initial results
  • Effort: 5 days

Thesis Writing (March - May 2026)

THESIS-001: Results and Discussion

  • Tasks:
    • Quantitative analysis of methodological consistency
    • Qualitative analysis of participant feedback
    • Statistical comparison of user experience metrics
    • Discussion of implications for HRI research
  • Deliverable: Thesis chapters 4-5 (Results and Discussion)

THESIS-002: Conclusion and Defense Preparation

  • Tasks:
    • Synthesis of research contributions
    • Limitations and future work discussion
    • Defense presentation preparation
    • Final thesis formatting and submission
  • Deliverable: Complete thesis and successful defense

Critical Success Factors

End of December 2025 Must-Haves

  1. Functional Platform: Wizard can execute experiments with NAO6 robot
  2. Reference Experiment: Working implementation in both HRIStudio and Choregraphe
  3. User-Ready Interface: Non-programmers can use with minimal training
  4. IRB Application: Submitted and under review
  5. Training Materials: Complete workshop materials for both platforms
  6. Pilot Validation: Study methodology tested and refined

Risk Mitigation Strategies

Technical Risks

  • Robot Hardware Failure: Have backup NAO6 unit available, implement robust mock mode
  • Platform Stability: Extensive testing across different laptop configurations
  • Data Loss: Implement automatic session backup and recovery
  • Performance Issues: Optimize for older laptop hardware

Study Execution Risks

  • Participant Recruitment: Start early, have backup recruitment channels
  • Learning Curve: Extensive pilot testing to refine training materials
  • Platform Comparison Fairness: Ensure equivalent training quality for both platforms
  • IRB Delays: Submit early with complete application to allow for revisions

Timeline Risks

  • Development Delays: Focus on minimum viable features for research needs
  • Academic Calendar: Align all deadlines with university schedule
  • Winter Break: Use break time for IRB follow-up and final preparations

Sprint Planning

October Sprint (Core Development)

  • Total Development Days: 28 days
  • Key Milestone: Working wizard interface + robot control
  • Priority: Technical foundation - everything depends on this

November Sprint (User Experience & Study Prep)

  • Total Development Days: 24 days
  • Key Milestone: Non-programmer ready interface + IRB draft
  • Priority: Usability and study preparation

December Sprint (Polish & Launch Prep)

  • Total Development Days: 22 days
  • Key Milestone: IRB submitted + reliable platform
  • Priority: Quality assurance and study readiness

Buffer and Contingency

  • Built-in Buffer: 10-15% buffer time in each sprint for unexpected issues
  • Parallel Workstreams: IRB preparation can happen alongside platform development
  • Fallback Options: Mock robot mode if hardware integration proves challenging
  • Academic Alignment: All deadlines respect university calendar and requirements

Success Metrics for Thesis Research

Primary Research Outcomes

  • Methodological Consistency: Quantitative fidelity scores comparing participant implementations to reference experiment
  • User Experience: Task completion rates, error rates, time-to-completion, satisfaction scores
  • Accessibility: Learning curve differences between platforms, help-seeking behavior
  • Efficiency: Setup time, execution time, and total task completion time comparisons

Platform Quality Gates

  • Zero critical bugs during study sessions
  • Sub-100ms response time for core wizard interface interactions
  • 100% data collection success rate across all study sessions
  • Participant satisfaction score > 4.0/5.0 for HRIStudio usability
  • Successful completion of reference experiment by 90%+ of participants

Thesis Contributions

  • Empirical Evidence: Quantitative comparison of WoZ platform approaches
  • Design Insights: Specific recommendations for accessible HRI research tools
  • Methodological Framework: Validated approach for comparing research software platforms
  • Open Source Contribution: Functional platform available for broader HRI community

This backlog prioritizes research success over platform perfection, focusing on delivering the minimum viable system needed to conduct a rigorous comparative study while maintaining the scientific integrity required for honors thesis research.

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