Predictive Robot Eyes Enhance Attentional Guidance in Cooperative Human-Robot Interaction

Predictive Robot Eyes Enhance Attentional Guidance in Cooperative Human-Robot Interaction | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Predictive Robot Eyes Enhance Attentional Guidance in Cooperative Human-Robot Interaction Lara Naendrup-Poell, Linda Onnasch This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6670276/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Sep, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract A key factor in successful human-robot interaction (HRI) is the predictability of a robot’s actions. Visual cues, such as eyes or arrows, can serve as directional indicators to enhance predictability, potentially improving performance and increasing trust. This study investigated the effects of predictive cues on performance, trust, and visual attention allocation in an industrial HRI setting. Using a 3 (predictive cues: abstract anthropomorphic eyes, directional arrows, no cue) × 3 (experience in three experimental blocks) mixed design, 42 participants were tasked with predicting a robot's movement target as quickly as possible. Contrary to our expectations, predictive cues did not significantly affect trust or prediction performance. However, eye-tracking revealed that participants exposed to anthropomorphic eyes identified the target earlier than those without cues. Interestingly, participant's self-reports showed infrequent use of the cues as directional guidance. Still, greater cue usage, as indicated by fixation data, was associated with faster predictions, suggesting that predictive cues, particularly anthropomorphic ones, guide visual attention and may improve efficiency, even when not consciously used. These findings highlight the nuanced role of predictive cues in HRI: even when not consciously registered or reflected in performance, they can subtly guide attention and support interaction. Biological sciences/Psychology Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Sep, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 07 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 03 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 13 Jun, 2025 Editor invited by journal 05 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 27 May, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 21 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 21 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6670276","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":472154524,"identity":"ff92b098-fbb5-4a52-aa75-e000f0a6a563","order_by":0,"name":"Lara Naendrup-Poell","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Technical University of Berlin","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lara","middleName":"","lastName":"Naendrup-Poell","suffix":""},{"id":472154525,"identity":"1af1491b-e81f-455c-ba77-33324a85a36a","order_by":1,"name":"Linda Onnasch","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Technical University of Berlin","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Linda","middleName":"","lastName":"Onnasch","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-15 08:08:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6670276/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6670276/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-19497-3","type":"published","date":"2025-09-23T15:58:17+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":92430651,"identity":"21c24daa-0a04-4c5b-84aa-c2a1ab3068ea","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-29 16:07:19","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1114865,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ScientificReportsPredictiveEyesIndustrialHRIR1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6670276/v1_covered_1145f117-eba1-431a-9871-10f1ab0feb94.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Predictive Robot Eyes Enhance Attentional Guidance in Cooperative Human-Robot Interaction","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6670276/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6670276/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"A key factor in successful human-robot interaction (HRI) is the predictability of a robot’s actions. 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