Do future engineers trust cobots?

Abstract

We live in a complex and uncertain reality where technology such as robotics will mostly augment its market size. This evolution will impact future engineers in their professional lives. Increasing trust in their interaction with collaborative robots also known as cobots is relevant to decrease uncertainty in our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. This research aimed to analyze the extent to which different higher education courses that students attend (mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and management, and management) differ with respect to the degree of general trust and its dimensions (perceived risk, benevolence, competence, and reciprocity) in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). A sample of 290 Portuguese higher education students replied to a Human Robot Trust Scale (HRTS), that showed adequate validity and reliability. To test our hypothesis an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted. Results showed that there are significant differences between groups regarding general trust - mechanical engineering students show more trust in HRI compared to engineering and industrial management students and management students. About the dimensions of trust, there are significant differences concerning perceived risk, benevolence, and competence, but not in relation to reciprocity. Practical implications, study limitations and clues for future research will be presented.