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Analyzing Human Perceptions of a MEDEVAC Robot in a Simulated Evacuation Scenario

Tyson Jordan, Pranav Pandey, Prashant Doshi, Ramviyas Parasuraman, Adam Goodie

TL;DR

A mixed factorial design is presented to assess human perceptions of a MEDEVAC robot in a simulated evacuation scenario and indicates a consistent main effect of operating mode on reported emotional states and perceived safety.

Abstract

The use of autonomous systems in medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) scenarios is promising, but existing implementations overlook key insights from human-robot interaction (HRI) research. Studies on human-machine teams demonstrate that human perceptions of a machine teammate are critical in governing the machine's performance. Here, we present a mixed factorial design to assess human perceptions of a MEDEVAC robot in a simulated evacuation scenario. Participants were assigned to the role of casualty (CAS) or bystander (BYS) and subjected to three within-subjects conditions based on the MEDEVAC robot's operating mode: autonomous-slow (AS), autonomous-fast (AF), and teleoperation (TO). During each trial, a MEDEVAC robot navigated an 11-meter path, acquiring a casualty and transporting them to an ambulance exchange point while avoiding an idle bystander. Following each trial, subjects completed a questionnaire measuring their emotional states, perceived safety, and social compatibility with the robot. Results indicate a consistent main effect of operating mode on reported emotional states and perceived safety. Pairwise analyses suggest that the employment of the AF operating mode negatively impacted perceptions along these dimensions. There were no persistent differences between casualty and bystander responses.

Analyzing Human Perceptions of a MEDEVAC Robot in a Simulated Evacuation Scenario

TL;DR

A mixed factorial design is presented to assess human perceptions of a MEDEVAC robot in a simulated evacuation scenario and indicates a consistent main effect of operating mode on reported emotional states and perceived safety.

Abstract

The use of autonomous systems in medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) scenarios is promising, but existing implementations overlook key insights from human-robot interaction (HRI) research. Studies on human-machine teams demonstrate that human perceptions of a machine teammate are critical in governing the machine's performance. Here, we present a mixed factorial design to assess human perceptions of a MEDEVAC robot in a simulated evacuation scenario. Participants were assigned to the role of casualty (CAS) or bystander (BYS) and subjected to three within-subjects conditions based on the MEDEVAC robot's operating mode: autonomous-slow (AS), autonomous-fast (AF), and teleoperation (TO). During each trial, a MEDEVAC robot navigated an 11-meter path, acquiring a casualty and transporting them to an ambulance exchange point while avoiding an idle bystander. Following each trial, subjects completed a questionnaire measuring their emotional states, perceived safety, and social compatibility with the robot. Results indicate a consistent main effect of operating mode on reported emotional states and perceived safety. Pairwise analyses suggest that the employment of the AF operating mode negatively impacted perceptions along these dimensions. There were no persistent differences between casualty and bystander responses.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 26 sections, 1 equation, 2 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Methods
  4. Experimental design
  5. Subject's role (Between-subjects)
  6. Robot's operating mode (Within-subjects)
  7. Technical Setup
  8. Measures
  9. Hypotheses
  10. Participants
  11. Procedure
  12. Briefing
  13. Experiment
  14. Debriefing
  15. Data Analysis
  16. ...and 11 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Our Simulated MEDEVAC Scenario. Participants assume the role of bystander or casualty (victim). They are subjected to several trials where a MEDEVAC robot is tasked with acquiring and evacuating the casualty from a casualty pickup point to a drop-off (ambulance exchange) point. Trials vary by the methods used to operate the robot. Following each trial, subjects complete a questionnaire designed to measure their perceived safety, emotional states, and social compatibility with regard to the robot.
  • Figure 2: Average Likert-scale scores across subjects for Questions 1-4.