Inspiring Real-Time Evaluation and Optimization of Human-Robot Interaction with Psychological Findings from Human-Human Interaction

The increasingly central role of robotic agents in daily life requires effective human-robot interaction (HRI). For roboticists to optimize interaction design, it is crucial to understand the potential effects of robotic agents on human performance. Yet a systematic specification of contributing factors is lacking, and objective measures of HRI performance are still limited. In these regards, the findings of research on human-human interaction can provide valuable insights. In this review, we break down the complex effects of robotic agents on interacting humans into some basic building blocks based on human-human interaction findings, i.e., the potential effects of physical presence, motor actions, and task co-representation in HRI. For each effect, we advise on future directions regarding its implication. Furthermore, we propose that the neural correlates of these effects could support real-time evaluation and optimization of HRI with electroencephalograph (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI).