Robot Transparency and Anthropomorphic Attribute Effects on Human–Robot Interactions

Abstract

Anthropomorphic robots need to maintain effective and emotive communication with humans as automotive agents to establish and maintain effective human-robot performances and positive human experiences. Previous research has shown that the characteristics of robot communication positively affect human-robot interaction outcomes such as usability, trust, workload, and performance. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of transparency and anthropomorphism in robotic dual-channel communication, encompassing the voice channel (low or high, increasing the amount of information provided by textual information) and the visual channel (low or high, increasing the amount of information provided by expressive information). The results showed the benefits and limitations of increasing the transparency and anthropomorphism, demonstrating the significance of the careful implementation of transparency methods. The limitations and future directions are discussed.