Is a Robot Trustworthy Enough to Delegate Your Control?

Abstract

The aim of our study was to investigate people’s preferred interaction with a robot -whether they prefer a robot that offers assistance based on its own judgment or a robot that follows specific verbal commands given by the user. To achieve this, we presented two types of sound-based interfaces. The first interface was a robot that judges the user’s needs based on the sound the user makes, without requiring any verbal commands. For example, if the user slaps a table with a pile of paper to organize it, the robot opens the drawer where the stapler is located. The second interface was a robot that follows the user’s verbal commands. In this interface, the user specifically asks the robot to find the stapler, and the robot opens the drawer accordingly. Our results showed that people preferred the verbal command interface in terms of usefulness, intelligence, appropriateness, and service evaluation. This indicates that individuals prefer to interact with a robot that follows their specific commands rather than a robot that infers people’s intention and reacts accordingly. Our findings suggest that designing robots to follow specific verbal commands may lead to more positive user experiences and perceptions of the robot’s intelligence and usefulness.