Technology
Should service robots look like us? Professor Markus Blut considers whether our robots should have human characteristics.
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echnology is vital for expansion of the service economy. Service robots are expected to change the way services are provided and to alter how customers and firms interact. They are defined as autonomous agents whose core purpose is to assist customers by performing physical and non-physical tasks. The market value for service robots is forecast to reach US$699.18 million by 2023. SoftBank has sold more than 10,000 of its humanoid service robot, Pepper, since launching it in 2014. Pepper is four feet tall and weighs around 61 pounds, and is employed by service providers in restaurants, airports and cruise liners to greet guests and help them navigate the location. It’s highly likely that robots will become more common and that customers will encounter them more in the future. While Pepper has a humanlike appearance, other robots employed by service firms, such as Lowe’s LoweBot, look more machinelike. Robot anthropomorphism refers to the extent to which customers perceive service robots as humanlike; this perception often results from the attribution of human characteristics or traits to non-human agents.
Sign of the times: A robot waiter at the Moli Robot Restaurant in Shanghai.
Perceived threat Customers anthropomorphise all kinds of marketing objects, including brands, products and services. But whether anthropomorphism in service robots enhances customers’ experiences
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Durham University Business School / IMPACT