Robots in Groups and Teams: A Literature Review

Autonomous robots are increasingly placed in contexts that require them to interact with groups of people rather than just a single individual. Interactions with groups of people introduce nuanced challenges for robots, since robots’ actions influence both individual group members and complex group dynamics. We review the unique roles robots can play in groups, finding that small changes in their nonverbal behavior and personality impacts group behavior and, by extension, influences ongoing interpersonal interactions.