Comparing VR and MR Setups for Human-Robot Interaction Studies: Methodological Insights and Implications

Description

Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies are becoming increasingly accessible to psychologists interested in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) studies. Both approaches offer unique benefits and limitations when investigating user responses to robots or patterns in collaboration with them. This talk presents a comparative analysis of two empirical studies—both employing identical experimental procedures, differing only in presentation mode: Whereas study 1 (N = 42) used a self-developed VR game in which participants had to solve several tasks together with a digital twin of a mobile collaborative robot, study 2 (N = 68) utilized a MR setup integrating the physical version of the same robot in a shared virtual environment. While VR can provide a controlled and resource-efficient means to experimentally manipulate robot design features or environmental variables, our MR setup enabled direct interaction with a physical robot, potentially capturing richer behavioral and perceptual responses. By comparing measurement results such as perceived trustworthiness of the robot, perceived safety, and participants’ spatial presence across both setups, our talk will highlight the following methodological considerations: (1) the comparability of VR- and MR-based user responses and interaction dynamics in HRI, (2) the potential of VR (versus MR) as a scalable, cost-effective tool for psychological research in HRI, and (3) our practical insights from the conceptualization and technical implementation of both setups, offering guidance for future studies.

Period	10 Sept 2025
Event title	13. Fachgruppentagung der Fachgruppen "Arbeits-, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie" und "Ingenieurpsychologie": Arbeitswelten im Wandel
Event type	Conference