Abstract
Research has demonstrated that workload and past machine performance influences operator allocation of task responsibilities to machines. We extended past investigations by offering task operators the opportunity to relinquish task control to a robotic entity. Forty-three participants navigated a remotely controlled vehicle around a prescribed course under conditions of low or high time pressure. While navigating, they could allocate camera monitoring to a low-or high-reliability automated agent. Results showed most participants retained control of the camera; others relinquished control immediately. Time pressure and reliability did not interact to influence task performance. Course navigation time was faster under high time pressure but errors were unaffected. Bivariate correlations revealed a positive relation between self-ratings of robotic expertise and pressure to perform, and between pressure to perform and errors committed during navigation. These results demonstrate low levels of trust in the robotic camera and comparative sensitivity of navigation time to time pressure.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.