Researchers have found that improved trust between humans and robots occurs when their movements are well-coordinated.
Research indicates that trust between humans and robots improves when their movements are synchronized.
This discovery might enhance the effectiveness of human-robot collaboration in real-world scenarios, particularly benefiting sectors like emergency services, enabling them to work more seamlessly with robots in the future.
By detecting co-movement in real-life settings, robots could gauge the level of trust a user has in them based on how well they move together.
Dr. Edmund Hunt, the lead author from the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Bristol, stated, “People have their preferred personal space in interactions, and this proximity influences engagement.”
“The same principle applies to human-robot interactions. A robot’s movements can communicate information to humans, who are quick to interpret goal-directed behavior from how a robot moves.”
“We aimed to explore whether the co-movement of humans and mobile robots within shared spaces, like buildings, impacts trust in the robot.”
The researchers hypothesized that synchronized movement alongside humans would foster trust, while any lack of trust would lead to disrupted co-movement.
The study was conducted at ‘Sparks Bristol’, where members of the public teamed up with two mobile rover robots. They were asked to role-play as firefighters inspecting a building post-fire, using the robots to assess safety.
The team employed an ultrasound tracking system to monitor the movements of both humans and robots. They found significant evidence that the synchronization of movement between humans and robots, particularly when the robot was within a two-meter range, correlated with changes in self-reported levels of trust. Participants who expressed lower trust tended to mirror the robots’ movements less.
This suggests that robots could use movement patterns as indicators of trust issues, potentially enabling them to take proactive steps to rebuild trust if they’ve made an error.
Dr. Hunt remarked, “As humans and robots increasingly work together, it’s vital that they trust each other.”
“Our findings show that synchronized movement promotes trust, and when trust falters, that synchronization also breaks down.”
“This could serve as an early signal indicating a need to restore trust, ensuring the success of human-robot missions even when challenges arise.”
The team plans to further explore the link between declining trust and reduced co-movement. They will investigate whether interruptions to robot collaboration hinder participants from re-establishing synchronized movements, which may not necessarily reflect a trust issue. They may also look into other types of simple, nonverbal communication suitable for non-humanoid robots, like indicator lights or sounds, to better understand how trust is developed and sustained.
