Trust in Human-Robot Interaction Within Healthcare Services: A Review Study

Abstract There has always been a dilemma of the extent to which human can rely on machines in different activities of daily living. Ranging from riding on a self-driving car to having an iRobot vacuum clean the living room. However, when it comes to healthcare settings where robots are intended to work next to human, making decision gets difficult because repercussions may jeopardize people’s life. That has led scientists and engineers to take one step back and think out of the box. Having concept of trust under scrutiny, this study helps deciphering complex human-robot interaction (HRI) attributes. Screening essential constituents of what shapes the trust in human mind as s/he is working with a robot will provide a more in-depth insight through how to build and consolidate the trust. In physiotherapeutic realm, this feeds into improving safety protocols and level of comfort; as well as increasing the efficacy of robot-assisted physical therapy and rehabilitation. This paper provides a comprehensive framework for measuring trust through introducing several scenarios that are prevalent in rehabilitation environment. This proposed framework highlights importance of clear communication between physicians and how they expect robot to intervene in a human centered task. In addition, it reflects on patients’ perception of robot assistance. Ultimately, recommendations are made in order to maximize trust earned from the patients which then feeds into enhancing efficacy of the therapy. This is an ongoing study; authors are working with a local hospital to implement the know in a real-world application.