A Systematic Review on Humans Interfering with Robots and Impeding Their Tasks: Preliminary Findings

Researchers have long focused on integrating robots smoothly into human life, yet anecdotal and empirical evidence show that humans (un)intentionally interfere with robots and impede their tasks. Prior work has focused primarily on so-called robot bullying, conceptualized as intentional behavior, but has not sufficiently acknowledged unintentional interference. A systematic classification of interference types, individuals involved, and robot behaviors to address these interferences remains lacking. This late-breaking report presents preliminary findings from an ongoing systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. We identified 18 studies from 2000 to 2025. We observed children and young adults most frequently engaged in obstructive behaviors, driven by curiosity and peer influence among other factors. Humanoid robots often elicited verbal harassment while machine-like robots were more targets of physical interference. Evidence on suitable robot responses remains limited. These insights highlight the need for broader investigation of human-robot conflict and robot responses to ensure smooth and safe HRI in practice.