Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue on Improving Human-Robot Interaction in Complex Operational Environments

Abstract

The past decade has seen a proliferation in the use of robots in a broad range of complex domains, such as urban search and rescue, military operations (including explosive ordnance disposal and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), scientific exploration in underwater and space expeditions, law enforcement (e.g., bomb squads), manufacturing, and health care (e.g., telerobotic surgery). Remotely controlled ground, aerial, sea-surface, and underwater robotic vehicles are serving as tools to safely extend the sensory and psychomotor capabilities of humans to remote environments while keeping humans safe. More importantly, with the ever-increasing technological sophistication in their design and capabilities, robots are becoming more than mere tools. They now can be seen as quasi–team members whose tasks and behaviors must be integrated with the task requirements and expectations of their human teammates. Yet without the necessary research base to inform design, sizeable investments will likely be made into developing robotic systems that are ineffective or, at best, not optimal. Toward this end, the goal of this two-part special issue is to present examples of the latest research on human-robot interaction that demonstrate how theories and empirical findings can be translated into practical, useful guidance for improving human-robot team performance across various domains.