As human-robot interaction (HRI) grows in importance both in practice and research, the emphasis often lies on close collaboration and the complex dynamics of humans and robots working together. This development necessitates a deep understanding of crucial aspects of that interaction. One of these aspects is trust. The dynamics of trust appear to be diverse, and several factors can have an impact. To deepen our understanding of the multiple facets that trust in HRI entails, this research investigates the effects of different types of trust violations on trust during a handover task. Contrary to previous works focusing primarily on robotic failures, however, this paper emphasizes trust violations that appear to represent more realistic cases for understanding trust violations. Therefore, we compare a violation that can be seen as a clear failure with one that can be seen as a deviation from what a user would expect from the robot. Moreover, we implemented these two violations on two types of robots, a technical robotic arm and a humanoid robot, and compared their effects on trust. The empirical study was conducted with 40 participants. The results of the study revealed that there are no significant differences regarding the violation’s impact on trust–neither did the comparison of the robot types yield any significant differences. Potential reasons for this, along with its implications, are discussed.

Space agencies are in the process of drawing up carefully thought-out Concepts of Operations (ConOps) for future human missions on the Moon. These are typically assessed and validated through costly and logistically demanding analogue field studies. While interactive simulations in Virtual Reality (VR) offer a comparatively cost-effective alternative, they have faced criticism for lacking the fidelity of real-world deployments. This paper explores the applicability of passive haptic interfaces in bridging the gap between simulated and real-world ConOps assessments. Leveraging passive haptic props (equipment mockup and astronaut gloves), we virtually recreated the Apollo 12 mission procedure and assessed it with experienced astronauts and other space experts. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that haptics increased presence and embodiment, thus improving perceived simulation fidelity and validity of user reflections. We conclude by discussing the potential role of passive haptic modalities in facilitating early-stage ConOps assessments for human endeavours on the Moon and beyond.

Revived interest in lunar exploration is heralding a new generation of design solutions in support of human operations on the Moon. While space system design has traditionally been guided by prototype deployments in analogue studies, the resource-intensive nature of this approach has largely precluded application of proficient user-centered design (UCD) methods from human-computer interaction (HCI). This paper explores possible use of Virtual Reality (VR) to simulate analogue studies in lab settings and thereby bring to bear UCD in this otherwise engineering-dominated field. Drawing on the ongoing development of the European Large Logistics Lander, we have recreated a prospective lunar operational scenario in VR and evaluated it with a group of astronauts and space experts (n=20). Our qualitative findings demonstrate the efficacy of VR in facilitating UCD, enabling efficient contextual inquiries and improving project team coordination. We conclude by proposing future directions to further exploit VR in lunar systems design.