Towards Understanding the Impact of Swarm Motion on Human Trust

Robot swarms are decentralised systems that use simple rules to achieve collective goals, yet their real-world deployment is limited by a lack of understanding of human trust and perception. This study examines how swarm motion affects the trust of novice users in a service-oriented swarm, using an automated cloakroom as a test case. We conducted 20 human trials, where participants interacted with a swarm exhibiting either structured (grid-like) or organic (adaptive) motion, with performance controlled across conditions. Trust and perception were assessed via self-reporting questionnaires and eye-tracking data. Results indicate that performance and reliability, rather than motion, are the key drivers of trust. However, motion influenced perceived predictability, highlighting its role in designing transparent and user-friendly swarm systems.