What we did:We built a prototype of a simple non-humanoid robot that tracks and synchronizes with the upper body movements of humans to explore the impact of synchronization on trust.
What we found:We found that synchronized movements significantly increased participants' trust ratings toward the robot compared to random and simple movement patterns.
Takeaway:Our research demonstrates that synchronization can be an effective strategy for enhancing trust in non-humanoid robots, offering insights for designers of future human-robot interfaces.
Abstract
When we go for a walk with friends, we can observe an interesting effect: From step lengths to arm movements - our movements unconsciously align; they synchronize. Prior research found that this synchronization is a crucial aspect of human relations that strengthens social cohesion and trust. Generalizing from these findings in synchronization theory, we propose a dynamical approach that can be applied in the design of non-humanoid robots to increase trust. We contribute the results of a controlled experiment with 51 participants exploring our concept in a between-subjects design. For this, we built a prototype of a simple non-humanoid robot that can bend to follow human movements and vary the movement synchronization patterns. We found that synchronized movements lead to significantly higher ratings in an established questionnaire on trust between people and automation but did not influence the willingness to spend money in a trust game.
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