Disney Research Finds Slower Robot Arms Feel Safer to Humans
Disney Research shows that robotic arms deliberately slow down their reaction times to avoid unnerving people during handovers, finding a sweet spot that mimics human behavior.
Disney Research explores how robotic arms interact safely with humans by deliberately slowing down their movement speed and reaction times. While robotic arms possess the capability to snatch objects out of the air with lightning speed, researchers find that such rapid motions unnerve people and make the machines feel potentially dangerous.
The research team attaches a robotic arm to an anthropomorphic cat torso and tests how humans feel when handing over an item under various conditions. They discover that fast movements cause people to report less warmth and more discomfort, while completely eliminating the delay before the robot reaches out leaves subjects similarly uneasy.
Interestingly, researchers also note that making the robot wait too long to react creates an equally strange feeling for humans. They identify a happy medium of slower movement and a reasonable, human-like delay that makes the handover system feel natural and safe, ensuring future theme park robots avoid the uncanny valley when taking items from guests.