robot

The way a robot moves can also convey information to a user -- humans quickly perceive apparent goal-directed behaviour from robot motion.

"We wanted to understand whether how humans and mobile robots move together -- co-movement through a space such as a building -- can affect levels of trust in the robot."

The team predicted that if robots can move alongside humans in a synchronised way it would build trust -- and conversely, that if a user distrusts a robot, the co-movement will be disrupted.

The team then tracked the human and robot movement using an ultrasound tracking system.

They found statistical evidence that synchronisation between human and robot movement over time, when the robot was within two metres, is related to changes in self-reported trust.