Design for Acceptability: Improving Robots’ Coexistence in Human Society

Abstract

This paper is about design and acceptability of service robots that interact with individuals and coexist in environments inhabited by humans. In its current usage, we argue, the term acceptability is "user-specific" or "usercentred", that is, it is based exclusively on the study of the relationships between a product and its users. In this paper, we argue that resistance towards service robots operating in public environments may also originate from properties which are not related to the user. For example, fear of the robot may generate resistance at the bystander level; lack of legal regulations for robots' deployment may generate resistance at the legal level; concerns about possible job reductions caused by the robot may generate resistance at the worker level. Therefore, it is necessary to go beyond the "user-centred" notion of acceptability and widen its scope so as to include any kind of potential resistance and not just those originating from the users. By adopting a broader view of the possible critical factors affecting service robots' acceptability, it will be possible to design robots that are good for users and acceptable to other people and society.

Enabling personalised medical support for chronic disease management through a hybrid robot-cloud approach

“…The robot's maximum velocity was pre-set at 0.6 m/s to assure a safe approach and interaction with the user (Salvini et al 2010). It was noticed that, during the service, the robot never reached this velocity because of the complexity of the real environment.…”

Ethic Reflections about Service Robotics, from Human Protection to Enhancement: Case Study on Cultural Heritage

“…Human-Robot Collaboration generates an enhancement of human work and further professionalization. Different from the industrial field, the use of robots generated a solid replacement of human work and, consequently, an increase of unemployment [2]. The introduction of robotics in other fields enhances the concern that the same phenomenon could occur.…”

“…Society is actually experiencing what Łichocki et al [1] defined as a "robotic demographic explosion." Given the complexity of this emerging society, the interdisciplinary cooperation between different disciplines will play a strategic role in this coming era of human-robot coexistence [2].…”

“…The theme of human replacement in many activities is already widely addressed, both from scientific community [1,2,4] and from mass media [5][6][7]. Furthermore, the relationship between man and machine has always fascinated science fiction writers who often enjoyed imagining futuristic scenarios where robots affirm their domain.…”

Good Enough Yet? A Preliminary Evaluation of Human-Surrogate Interaction

“…The second attribute takes two approaches, maximizing or minimizing the amount of training required to effectively interact with the robot. For naturalistic interactions and increased likelihood of technological acceptance, minimization is preferable (Salvini, Laschi, & Dario, 2010).…”