Abstract
This paper presents a field study conducted in a distribution warehouse
of a supermarket chain, Colruyt Group, in Belgium. It focuses
on workers’ acceptance of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) with
anthropomorphic features. The robots were developed by an onsite
technical team, and our research team of social scientists was
consulted to explore workers’ perspectives. We compared four
versions of the robot (without any features, with a name, with eyes
and with a display) using mixed methods, including ethnography,
interviews and surveys. Collecting data via periodic surveys proved
challenging since the warehouse employees were busy during peak
seasons (high workload) and due to technical issues with the robots.
These factors necessitated a more flexible approach. Nonetheless,
our study provided valuable insights that were considered during
the robot implementation. In this case study, we summarise the
results, lessons learned, and suggestions that could help navigate
future field studies in industrial environments.
of a supermarket chain, Colruyt Group, in Belgium. It focuses
on workers’ acceptance of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) with
anthropomorphic features. The robots were developed by an onsite
technical team, and our research team of social scientists was
consulted to explore workers’ perspectives. We compared four
versions of the robot (without any features, with a name, with eyes
and with a display) using mixed methods, including ethnography,
interviews and surveys. Collecting data via periodic surveys proved
challenging since the warehouse employees were busy during peak
seasons (high workload) and due to technical issues with the robots.
These factors necessitated a more flexible approach. Nonetheless,
our study provided valuable insights that were considered during
the robot implementation. In this case study, we summarise the
results, lessons learned, and suggestions that could help navigate
future field studies in industrial environments.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’25), April 26–May 01, 2025, Yokohama, Japan. ACM, New York, NY, USA |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 2025 |
Datasets
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Introducing Robots in a Warehouse: Survey Questions Referenced in the Case Study
Sirka Kacafírková, K. (Researcher), Elprama, S. (Researcher), Wittens, M. M. J. (Researcher) & Jacobs, A. (Supervisor), Zenodo, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14887220
Dataset