Promoting collaboration with social robots

Abstract

As robotic technology becomes more robust and interactive, robots are increasingly stepping into the role of a collaborator to humans in various contexts. In addition to performing collaborative tasks accurately and efficiently, robots should also contribute socially by improving team effectiveness and cohesion. This work is a first step toward developing a high-level reasoning model of the motivations and strategies held by each individual of the team. With this model, social robots will be able to promote more efficient and enjoyable collaboration by suggesting improvements to specific actions, aligning diverging strategies, and encouraging actions that promote higher team cohesiveness.