Getting collaborative robots to work: A study of ethics emerging during the implementation of cobots

Wallace, Jamie

doi:10.1515/pjbr-2021-0019

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…They might on the one hand appreciate a reduction of the mental and physical workload, for example if the cobot takes over repetitive and monotonous tasks [57]. On the other hand, decreased complexity can be perceived negatively if employees fear mental underload due to lower speed and longer waiting times [53] or if the lower complexity puts the social position of the employee at risk [58]. It is therefore essential in terms of satisfactory working conditions to take cognitive load and mental workload into account when assigning tasks to humans and cobots [59].…”

Section: Changes In the Daily Work Routinementioning

confidence: 99%

Analysing Factory Workers’ Acceptance of Collaborative Robots: A Web-Based Tool for Company Representatives

2022

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Collaborative robots are a new type of lightweight robots that are especially suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. They offer new interaction opportunities and thereby pose new challenges with regard to technology acceptance. Despite acknowledging the importance of acceptance issues, small and medium-sized enterprises often lack coherent strategies to identify barriers and foster acceptance. Therefore, in this article, we present a collection of crucial acceptance factors with regard to collaborative robot use at the industrial workplace. Based on these factors, we present a web-based tool to estimate employee acceptance, to provide company representatives with practical recommendations and to stimulate reflection on acceptance issues. An evaluation with three German small and medium-sized enterprises reveals that the tool’s concept meets the demands of small and medium-sized enterprises and is perceived as beneficial as it raises awareness and deepens knowledge on this topic. In order to realise economic potentials, further low-threshold usable tools are needed to transfer research findings into the daily practice of small and medium-sized enterprises.

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Section: Changes In the Daily Work Routinementioning

confidence: 99%

Analysing Factory Workers’ Acceptance of Collaborative Robots: A Web-Based Tool for Company Representatives

2022

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“…The case study revealed a difference between technicians and operators. Technicians might have better career prospects than mere operators, but they could also be called upon to do the work of operators as necessary (Wallace, 2021). Operators, for their part, might lose some of the well-being and status of their pre-cobot working: they would be turned instead into servicers of a robot-fillersup of its fluids and feeder trays, monitors of its normal operations, and so on (Wallace, 2021, p. 306).…”

Section: Does Participatory Design and Integration Preclude Human Rep...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cobots, “co-operation” and the replacement of human skill

Sorell

2022

Ethics Inf Technol

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Automation does not always replace human labour altogether: there is an intermediate stage of human co-existence with machines, including robots, in a production process. Cobots are robots designed to participate at close quarters with humans in such a process. I shall discuss the possible role of cobots in facilitating the eventual total elimination of human operators from production in which co-bots are initially involved. This issue is complicated by another: cobots are often introduced to workplaces with the message (from managers) that they will not replace human operators but will rather assist human operators and make their jobs more interesting and responsible. If, in the process of learning to assist human operators, robots acquire the skills of human operators, then the promise of avoiding replacement can turn out to be false, and if a human operator loses his job, he has been harmed twice over: once by unemployment and once by deception. I shall suggest that this moral risk attends some cobots more than others.

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“…Meanwhile, the adoption of robots by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) introduces specific challenges, particularly related to achieving new skills and developing new work expertise [3]. Introducing robots into the workplace is a technical practice that significantly impacts the daily procedure of shopfloor workers [4]. Robotics integration is a complex and multidimensional learning process that involves the company's human capital ecosystem.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Industrial Robots’ Maturity: An Italian Case Study

Aggogeri,

Pellegrini,

Taesi

2024

Robotics

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This paper aims to investigate the impact of industrial robotics, examining the process integration in a sample of +600 companies located in the Province of Brescia, an intensive industrial area in the North of Italy. Through a detailed economic investigation, this study analyses the adoption of robotic solutions in companies of varying sizes, using a survey and financial databases to investigate the most used types of robots, their applications, the impacts at the operational and personnel level, and the companies’ growth (sales, employees, other). The results highlight a significant presence of robotic solutions, particularly articulated robots, in the large companies involved. Robotics diffusion positively correlates with significant improvements in terms of productivity and quality. The introduction of robots is associated with increased corporate growth indicators, including staff expansion. Large companies demonstrate a superior ability to adapt to these technologies, supported by more significant financial resources and a wide range of internal competencies for managing robots. Furthermore, large companies proactively hire qualified personnel or initiate internal training courses. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), although currently less equipped with robotic technologies, exhibit a significant interest in future adoption, highlighting the opportunity for growth and innovation. The results suggest that integrating robotics in the manufacturing sector not only constitutes an effective means to enhance operational performance but also acts as a catalyst for developing human capital and strengthening the local economy.

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Getting collaborative robots to work: A study of ethics emerging during the implementation of cobots

Cited by 11 publications

References 48 publications

Analysing Factory Workers’ Acceptance of Collaborative Robots: A Web-Based Tool for Company Representatives

Analysing Factory Workers’ Acceptance of Collaborative Robots: A Web-Based Tool for Company Representatives

Cobots, “co-operation” and the replacement of human skill

Towards Industrial Robots’ Maturity: An Italian Case Study

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