Impact of Multi-Robot Presence and Anthropomorphism on Human Cognition and Emotion

Exploring how robots impact human cognition and emotions has become increasingly important as robots gradually become ubiquitous in our lives. In this study, we investigate the impact of robotic presence on human cognition and emotion by examining various robot parameters such as anthropomorphism, number of robots, and multi-robot motion patterns. 16 participants completed two cognitive tasks in the presence of anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic robots, alone, and with a human nearby. The non-anthropomorphic robot conditions were further varied in the number of robots and their motion patterns. We find that increasing the number of non-anthropomorphic robots generally leads to slower performance, but coordinated patterned motions can lower the completion time compared to random movements. An anthropomorphic robot induces an increased level of feelings of being judged compared to a non-anthropomorphic robot. These findings provide preliminary insights into how designers or users can purposefully integrate robots into our environment by understanding the effects of anthropomorphism, number of robots, and multi-robot motion patterns on human cognition and emotion.