The Art of Cultivating Adequate Expectations: Worker Perceptions of Novel Robots and Strategies for Adjustment

Description

In the evolving landscape of industrial human-robot collaboration, establishing and managing accurate expectations among workers is paramount for the successful integration of robots. This presentation begins with a nuanced analysis of factory workers’ attitudes based on comprehensive questionnaire studies (N = 556). We highlight their multifaceted expectations prior to initial interactions with robots in the workplace, including aspects like task-related worries, social concerns, and affective and behavioral associations. The second part of our talk focuses on proactive educational interventions. We share preliminary findings from a mixed-reality study in which 68 participants watched video tutorials before collaborating with a physical robot in a shared virtual workplace. The tutorials provided participants with information on how the robot communicates and how to interact with it effectively. This approach not only addresses prevailing task-related concerns but also fosters a proactive adjustment of worker expectations. By structuring our presentation in this sequential manner—from understanding to instructing human team partners—we offer a holistic perspective on managing worker expectations for the successful adoption of robots in industrial settings. In doing so we contribute to the broader discourse on fostering effective human-robot collaboration and provide practical implications for designing and implementing robots in the workplace.

Period	18 Sept 2024
Event title	53rd DGPs Congress/15th ÖGP Conference
Event type	Conference
Location	AustriaShow on map