Chapter 8: Proactive Robots in Human–Robot Action Teams

In action teams, members coordinate in fast-paced, uncertain conditions to achieve a common goal – for example, firefighters and emergency medical teams. In many contexts, action teams are under-resourced, which can impede their success. Well-designed and well-contextualized proactive robots, which take initiative to help their human teammates, may help teams achieve their goals. This chapter examines action teams, challenges in team coordination, and how robots can be designed to support these teams. We provide a brief overview of the literature covering proactive dialogue and action in human–robot teams. We then discuss a study we conducted with human–robot action teams to understand how robot initiative can be designed for dynamic environments. Our research informs the design of robots that are capable of proactively taking action to support team outcomes in uncertain, fast-paced environments.