Multiplayer Space Invaders: A Platform for Studying Evolving Fairness Perceptions in Human-Robot Interaction

Current methods of measuring fairness in human-robot interaction (HRI) research often gauge perceptions of fairness at the conclusion of a task. However, this methodology overlooks the dynamic nature of fairness perceptions, which may shift and evolve as a task progresses. To help address this gap, we introduce a platform designed to help investigate the evolution of fairness over time: the Multiplayer Space Invaders game. This three-player game is structured such that two players work to eliminate as many of their own enemies as possible while a third player makes decisions about which player to support throughout the game. In this paper, we discuss different potential experimental designs facilitated by this platform. A key aspect of these designs is the inclusion of a robot that operates the supporting ship and must make multiple decisions about which player to aid throughout a task. We discuss how capturing fairness perceptions at different points in the game could give us deeper insights into how perceptions of fairness fluctuate in response to different variables and decisions made in the game.