Improving Trust in Human-Robot Teams Through Synchronised Movement
Improving Trust in Human-Robot Teams Through Synchronised Movement
Researchers have found that trust between humans and robots increases when their movements are harmonised. These insights could improve the success of human-robot collaborations, particularly in real-world settings like emergency services, where effective teamwork with robots is critical. The study suggests that robots could use co-movement with humans as an indicator of trust. By sensing how well they move in sync with a user, robots can gauge whether the user feels confident in their abilities.
Dr. Edmund Hunt, lead author and member of the University of Bristol's Faculty of Science and Engineering, explained: "People maintain preferred social distances during interactions, and this proximity shapes engagement. The same is true for human-robot interaction. The way a robot moves can communicate information, and humans quickly interpret goal-directed behavior from robot motion." The research team aimed to determine if the synchronisation of human and robot movement, particularly in spaces like buildings, influences the level of trust in the robot. They hypothesised that synchronised movement would foster trust, while disrupted movement would signal distrust. The experiment took place at 'Sparks Bristol,' where participants were paired with two mobile rover robots and tasked with simulating a firefighter’s search in a building post-fire. The participants used the robots to inspect the building and ensure its safety. The researchers tracked the movements of both the humans and robots using ultrasound technology.
The results showed that when humans and robots moved synchronously, it was linked to higher self-reported trust levels. Users who reported lower trust in the robots showed less synchronisation with the robots' movements. This suggests that movement patterns could be used by robots as a sign of declining trust, allowing them to take proactive steps to rebuild or repair trust if necessary, such as after making a mistake.
Dr. Hunt commented, "In the future, humans and robots will increasingly work as teams, and trust will be essential for successful collaboration. Our findings show that synchronised movement can strengthen trust, and when trust is damaged, the co-movement is disrupted. This could serve as an early warning system to repair trust and ensure successful mission outcomes, even when things don't go according to plan." The team plans to further investigate the connection between trust and movement, including whether a disruption in co-movement makes it harder for users to reconnect with the robot, which may not always be linked to trust issues. They also plan to explore alternative forms of nonverbal communication, such as indicator lights or sounds, to help foster and maintain trust, especially with non-humanoid robots.
