When humans and robots move together harmoniously through space, it builds mutual trust and improves teamwork, according to new research from the University of Bristol. The findings could help emergency services work more effectively with robot partners in the future.
Published in arXiv | Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
In a novel experiment simulating search and rescue scenarios, researchers had members of the public team up with two mobile rover robots to inspect a building after an imagined fire. Using ultrasound tracking, they monitored how participants moved in relation to their robotic teammates.
The study revealed that when humans and robots synchronized their movements within a two-meter radius, it correlated strongly with higher levels of trust between them. Conversely, when trust was damaged – for instance, by temporary communication failures – this harmonious movement pattern became disrupted.
“People have preferred social distances from others during interaction and their proximity shapes engagement,” explains lead author Dr. Edmund Hunt. “The way a robot moves can also convey information to a user – humans quickly perceive apparent goal-directed behaviour from robot motion.”
The experiment took place at Sparks Bristol, where participants wore tracking devices while working with two rover robots equipped with cameras. Half the participants experienced a planned three-minute communication interruption where the robots became unresponsive, while the other half had continuous communication throughout.
Interviews revealed that participants often chose to work with the robot that stayed physically closer to them, considering it more part of their team. When communications were interrupted, having an unresponsive robot nearby was particularly frustrating for participants.
“In the future humans and robots will be increasingly working alongside each other in teams – and the teammates will need to trust each other,” notes Dr. Hunt. “We found evidence that when humans and robots can move together in a more synchronised way it helps trust – and that when trust is damaged, this co-movement is disrupted too.”
These findings could help develop robots that better maintain trust with their human partners. By monitoring movement patterns, robots could detect early warning signs of trust issues and take steps to repair the relationship before it impacts the team’s mission.
Glossary
- Co-movement
- The synchronized or coordinated movement between two or more entities through space.
- Proxemics
- The study of how humans use and perceive physical space in communication and interaction.
- Trust Dynamics
- How trust between team members changes and evolves over time based on interactions and experiences.
Test Your Knowledge
What was the key finding about movement and trust?
Answer: Synchronized movement between humans and robots within a two-meter radius correlated with higher levels of trust.
How did participants typically choose which robot to work with?
Answer: They usually chose the robot that stayed physically closer to them.
What happened to movement synchronization when trust was damaged?
Answer: The harmonious co-movement pattern became disrupted.
What was the purpose of the communication interruption in the experiment?
Answer: To test how temporary communication failures affected trust and movement patterns between humans and robots.
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