The role of successful human-robot interaction on trust -- Findings of an experiment with an autonomous cooperative robot

TL;DR

This study investigates how successful human-robot cooperation influences trust, showing that effective collaboration enhances trust and perceived robot adaptiveness in everyday tasks involving older adults.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence that successful task completion in human-robot interaction positively impacts trust and perceptions of robot adaptiveness.

Findings

Successful cooperation increases trust in the robot.

Effective interaction improves perceived robot adaptiveness.

Positive emotional reactions are linked to task success.

Abstract

The foundation of this paper is an experiment of fifteen participants interacting directly with an autonomous robot. The task for the participants was to carry a table, in two different setups, together with a robot, which is intended to support older people with heavy lifting tasks. By collecting and analyzing observational, quantitative, and qualitative data the interaction was investigated with a specific emphasis on trust in the robot. The overall aim was a better understanding of people's emotional and evaluative reactions when they engage with a functioning robot in a relatable everyday scenario. This study shows that successful cooperative task completion has a positive effect on trust and other related evaluations, like the perceived adaptiveness regarding the robot's behavior.