Erroneous or accurate: Assessing decisions and decision-making behavior during a human-directed robotic geology field test

Robotic geology is a relatively new field where a robot collects, processes, and transmits information for geologists' interpretation. Difference in the returned information delivered can be demonstrated theoretically. Different conclusions could result from the altered input. The differences arise from the rover's information transformations and the geologists' analysis methods. A person's mental faculties are limited and specific behaviors are used to deal with these limits during decision-making. During a robotic geology mission, specific behaviors can be linked to each decision and each decision can be checked for accuracy.; This study had three objectives. (1) Determine if differences exist in the results of a robotic geology mission. (2) Measure how often specific behaviors are associated with the differences. (3) Determine why the differences occurred. A robotic geology field test was conducted where three planetary geologists remotely analyzed different sites. After the remote analysis, the geologists were taken to the field sites and identified 20 differences between what was observed remotely and what was observed in the field. The field test's 648 pages of transcripts and interviews were reduced to a list of 422 observations and ideas, which was used to identify the decision-making behaviors. Specific, decision-making behaviors were linked to each list item. The list items were then check for accuracy.; The results demonstrate differences exist in the conclusion drawn during a robotic geology mission. The 20 differences were evenly split with 10 differences attributed to limitations of the rover and 10 differences attributed to the geologists. The rover's limitations can be overcome by improvements in the camera's depth perception and special resolution along with increasing the rover's mobility. The 10 differences attributed to the geologists point to a need for increased robotic geology experience and focused training on determining the rover's location. None of the decision-making behaviors analyzed had a high association with the differences, but two of the behaviors (correlation and hindsight bias) were involved in the largest number of differences. Both of these behaviors are related to past experience, further supporting the need for geologists to have more experience in robotic geology.