Beyond the Default: The Effects of Adaptable Robot Speed in Industrial Human-Robot Interaction

Collaborative robots have gained popularity in industrial manufacturing due to their flexibility. However, one substantial challenge is to utilize this flexibility human-centered. While there is considerable research emphasis on system-controlled approaches, the exploration of user-controlled adaptation has been comparatively overlooked. Therefore, this study investigated user-controlled speed adaptation in an experimental within-subject design. We assessed mental workload of 36 participants using subjective, physiological, and secondary task performance measures. Moreover, we investigated acceptance, perceived control, and the influence of desirability of control. The primary task simulated assembling circuit boards in a sequential scenario. The results indicated that workload did not decrease with speed adaptation. Conversely, secondary task reaction time was even slower. However, participants generally preferred the adaptation and reported a greater sense of control. In general, the findings suggest that adapting speed could have positive subjective and possible negative performance-related aspects.