Thumbs up or pointing? Guiding a delivery drone under uncertainty in public space

Lingam, N., Woziwodski, J., Obaid, M., Martens, M. H., Bazilinskyy, P.

Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction (HAI). Yokohama, Japan (2025)

ABSTRACT Drones will soon deliver packages to recipients in public spaces, where drones may encounter difficulties identifying safe drop-off locations. Such uncertainties can reduce trust and raise safety concerns. This augmented reality study investigates how recipients perceive being asked to guide the drone in uncertain situations using hand gestures, and to what extent they feel comfortable with different levels of involvement. Results show that participants preferred a basic level of involvement, which received higher trust and usability scores than either no or high involvement. We recommend involving recipients in the final stage of delivery to not only support drone operations but also improve recipient trust and clarity in uncertain conditions.