Can a Humanoid Robot Engage in Heartwarming Interaction Service at a Hotel?

Abstract

While more and more robots have been employed in the service industry, the impact of the human--robot social interaction on a heartwarming interaction service mostly remains an open question. For the purpose of exploring the possibility that a humanoid robot engages in a heartwarming interaction service, we developed herein the first prototype of the service system through a humanoid robot and conducted a field study, where a humanoid robot engages in the service for a customer at a hotel to collect a customer's impression of the service by questionnaire. The results demonstrate a humanoid robot's potential of engaging in a heartwarming interaction service that enhances customer satisfaction of the whole service. An exploratory analysis suggests the differences of the impact in sex and long-term interaction. Finally, we discuss the possibility of another application, namely, effective advertisement through a heartwarming interaction with a humanoid robot.