People with severe physical disabilities who have non-technical backgrounds are unlikely candidates to be able to operate vocational assistive robots. Such robotic devices have been costly, complex, programmable only by experts, and prohibitive to user changes. This dissertation describes the design approach created in the development of a small desktop robot system called the Professional Vocational Assistant Robot (ProVAR). ProVAR deals explicitly with the social aspects of human-robot interaction to help individuals with tetraplegia to use the robot.

This design approach was heavily influenced by the theory of Social Responses to Communication Technologies (SRCT) and by psychology research that shows the power of a team in complex command, design and learning scenarios. The SRCT concept holds that people's reactions and interactions with computers and other new media entities follow the same social rules used in human-human interactions. If those reactions can be enhanced, the success of assistive robotic systems dependent on them can also be increased. The leveraging of social responses can increase tolerance for the robotic systems' difficulties, and thus increase the chance of adoption and sustained use of the assistive devices by lay users not experienced in computers, robots, or mechanical control devices.

A new theory, growing out of SRCT, was proposed. "Social Responses to Somatic Technology" (SRST) guided the development of ProVAR. It is based on a robot users perception that a somatic, e.g., robotic, technology device is, in fact, a social entity. As does a human social entity, each technological social entity consists of two components:​ the "body" and the "mind." The ProVAR System was designed with two complete social entities, or personalities;​ both induce social responses. Each of ProVAR's two personalities is expected to maintain a personal relationship with the users, in this case, with an individual with severe physical disabilities and with the occupational therapist responsible for his/her rehabilitation.

ProVAR's graphical user interface, named "Jiminey," is primarily considered by the user to be a mind:​ a smart consultant/coach. ProVAR's robotic arm, "Pinocchio," is primarily perceived by the user to be a body:​ the down-to-earth do'er itself. Even though each of these social entities does have both a body and a mind, each personality's different dominant characteristic allows the user to perceive that he/she is functioning as a teammate with two other distinct entities. These three partners work together to help manage and take advantage of the special capabilities of the ProVAR System to complete desired tasks.

During Experiment 1, ProVAR showed 100% of novice users able independently to execute both preprogrammed tasks and also the more complicated manipulation of existing tasks and creation of new ones. ProVAR's SRST-inspired design is effective, with seven of eight metrics positively ranked by users. One additional finding showed that training first on the user interface alone without the presence of the robotic arm was not time effective.

A further examination of the application of the SRST concept of "Social Entity = Body + Mind" was done in Experiment 2, studying the effect of the body and the mind of the robotic arm being perceived not to be co-located but in separate locations. Results showed that usability was ranked higher by the study participants if the arm (the body) was perceived as autonomous, i.e., controlling itself (by its mind) with an internal inboard computer, rather than the arm being remote-controlled, i.e., teleoperated (by its mind), in a computer located in another room.