Stress Factors that Impact Robot Operator Control in High-Stress Dynamic Scenarios

Abstract

This research investigates the evaluation of a key component in human-robot interaction (HRI), the psychological and physical stress of humans interacting with a robot. This research for understanding the role of stress in human-robot teaming will consist of two phases. The first phase of this research evaluates different methods of inducing stress in unstructured and dynamic scenarios and provides a comparison to traditional stress induction methods such as showing a video or solving math problems without the use of paper and pencil. The second phase of this research includes a study of human-robot interactions using a human to operate a robot with and without induced stress. It is expected that improved usability and user experience for the robot operator can be achieved through this research and an understanding of the stress levels a robot operator experiences in unstructured and dynamic scenarios, such as those experienced by tactical officers. By understanding how stress impacts interactions under different modes of robot operation, methods can be developed to reduce operator stress by designing different modes of robot operation that be used during human-robot teaming in dynamic and unstructured scenarios.