"I Can’t See You, But I Trust You!": Exploring the Impact of Reduced Vision On Object Handover Times in Human-Robot Collaboration

Despite the potential benefits of assistive robots for aging populations or individuals with special interactive requirements, such as reduced vision or hearing, there is limited research in this area. We present a repeated-measures study that included twenty-nine participants who interacted in two phases, either blindfolded first and then not blindfolded or vice versa. The study measured trust and negative attitudes towards robots (NARS) before and after handover interactions, as well as social robot attributes (RoSAS) and handover times. Results revealed no significant differences in trust levels or social attributes. However, negative attitudes and handover times were significantly lower when participants interacted first blindfolded. These findings highlight the importance of considering reduced vision capabilities in Human-Robot Collaboration and suggest potential strategies for enhancing interaction experiences in this context. Further research could explore additional factors influencing collaborative interactions and inform the development of more inclusive and effective assistive robot technologies.