Trust, Shared Understanding and Locus of Control in Mixed-Initiative Robotic Systems

TL;DR

This study explores how trust, shared understanding, and Locus of Control influence human-robot interaction in mixed-initiative systems, showing increased trust and understanding over time, especially in dynamic control scenarios.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into the evolution of trust and shared understanding in mixed-initiative HRI and examines the impact of Locus of Control on these factors.

Findings

Trust and understanding increased over time in mixed-initiative control.

Operators adapted better to the system with increased familiarity.

Locus of Control influences individual differences in HRI.

Abstract

This paper investigates how trust, shared understanding between a human operator and a robot, and the Locus of Control (LoC) personality trait, evolve and affect Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) in mixed-initiative robotic systems. As such systems become more advanced and able to instigate actions alongside human operators, there is a shift from robots being perceived as a tool to being a team-mate. Hence, the team-oriented human factors investigated in this paper (i.e. trust, shared understanding, and LoC) can play a crucial role in efficient HRI. Here, we present the results from an experiment inspired by a disaster response scenario in which operators remotely controlled a mobile robot in navigation tasks, with either human-initiative or mixed-initiative control, switching dynamically between two different levels of autonomy: teleoperation and autonomous navigation. Evidence suggests that operators trusted and developed an understanding of the robotic systems, especially in mixed-initiative control, where trust and understanding increased over time, as operators became more familiar with the system and more capable of performing the task. Lastly, evidence and insights are presented on how LoC affects HRI.