BCI Exploration of User Responses to Vulnerable and Expressive Robot Behaviors

Abstract

The manufacturing sector serves as a hub for human-robot interaction (HRI), employing robots for diverse tasks. Collaborative robots, working alongside humans in shared workspaces, aim to enhance workplace efficiency. However, this close proximity can pose challenges, leading to feelings of stress and concern among human users. Ensuring safety, both physically and psychologically, is crucial in HRI, especially during physical collaboration. Assessing the physiological safety of users involves various methods, including utilizing physiological signals as novel approaches. This study employs a brain-computer interface (BCI) experiment using noninvasive EEG signals to explore if these signals can interpret human responses to different robotic behaviors in HRI scenarios. Results reveal distinct human brain responses triggered by various robot behaviors, detected through the analysis of electrical brain activity, however this is just a preliminary study and more analyses are needed.