Exploring the Effect of Anthropomorphic Design on Trust in Industrial Robots: Insights from a Metaverse Cobot Experiment

Wittmann M (2024)


Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2024

Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

Pages Range: 118-124

Conference Proceedings Title: 2024 21st International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots, UR 2024

Event location: New York, NY, USA

ISBN: 9798350361070

DOI: 10.1109/UR61395.2024.10597479

Abstract

Collaborative robot (cobot) solutions offer several benefits, among them their cost-effectiveness, easy implementation on the shop floor, and the ability to automate repetitive processes. Increasingly, these systems are powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Cognitive and emotional barriers, however, often prevent a widespread introduction of AI-powered cobot solutions. One potential remedy for this lack of trust may be anthropomorphism, which has been empirically shown to improve the likeability of systems and affect the trust perception of human users. We developed a metaverse collaboration game set in a final assembly environment. At the example of an industrial robotic use case, we investigate the impact of anthropomorphic design on trust in the cobot. We ran a between-subject experiment with a sample size of 65 participants who interacted with a mechanical robot version or the anthropomorphized robot. The perception of the robot's reliability, functionality, helpfulness, and trust increased within each group. Contrary to our assumptions, however, there were no significant differences in the median trust ratings between the anthropomorphically and the nonanthropomorphically designed robot. We discuss the ramifications for industrial human-robot interaction.

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How to cite

APA:

Wittmann, M. (2024). Exploring the Effect of Anthropomorphic Design on Trust in Industrial Robots: Insights from a Metaverse Cobot Experiment. In 2024 21st International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots, UR 2024 (pp. 118-124). New York, NY, USA: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc..

MLA:

Wittmann, Maximilian. "Exploring the Effect of Anthropomorphic Design on Trust in Industrial Robots: Insights from a Metaverse Cobot Experiment." Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots, UR 2024, New York, NY, USA Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024. 118-124.

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