Effect of Augmented Reality User Interface on Task Performance, Cognitive Load, and Situational Awareness in Human-Robot Collaboration

Augmented Reality (AR) enables the transmission of intent using the physical area in which humans and robots interact as a shared canvas. Studies exploring AR for human-robot collaboration have reported mixed findings on the relationship between cognitive workload and task performance. In this study, we developed an AR user interface (UI) that guides the user to perform a pick-and-place task while collaborating with a robot. A repeated measures mixed-methods study with sixteen participants demonstrated that AR UI significantly impacted task performance, where users traveled longer distances at slower speeds to pick-and-place objects than the control group. Additionally, UI significantly impacted the cognitive load, where participants reported higher NASA-TLX scores while using AR UI. Finally, users reported significantly lower situational awareness and low usability scores while using AR UI. Our findings suggest that the AR UI negatively impacts human-robot collaboration, calling for further investigation.