Designing Trust in Human-Cobot Interactions: An Exploration through Experience Mapping

Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, James Weir Building, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow, G1 1QL, United Kingdom

^* Corresponding author: amy.grech.2020@uni.strath.ac.uk

Abstract

This paper explores the dynamics between humans and collaborative robots (cobots), focusing on the crucial element of trust. Despite robots’ limitations in reflection and adaptability compared to humans, trust plays a pivotal role in determining the success of such collaborations. By employing principles of storytelling and role-play, trust mechanisms were designed in a contextual interaction between a human and a cobot to deeply understand the human perspective in the interaction on a cognitive and affective level. A qualitative workshop involving students from engineering and product design fields provides insights into human thoughts and emotions during human-robot collaborations (HRC). The outcome of this paper is a novel HRC experience map as a method for revealing the intricacies of trust dynamics, whilst serving as a foundational exploration in advancing interaction-based manufacturing processes towards human-centricity, efficiency, and effectiveness.