Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Alexander P. Henkel is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of service science, robotics, and consumer well-being. His work centers on how social robots—both physical and digital—can be designed and deployed to enhance customer experiences, particularly for vulnerable populations such as older adults and children. Henkel’s most influential contribution is his 2020 paper on “Robotic transformative service research,” which has garnered 179 citations and argues for using social robots to mitigate the psychological toll of social isolation during crises like COVID-19. His 2023 study on consumer reactions to service bots (169 citations) reveals that people often evaluate bot-provided service more negatively than human service, a finding with profound implications for firms automating customer support. Henkel also developed “robotic role theory” (51 citations), a framework that integrates insights from multiple disciplines to understand how robots assume service roles. His transdisciplinary review (34 citations) offers a comprehensive model for designing, delegating, and deploying embodied social robots. With over 450 total citations, Henkel’s work is shaping how businesses and researchers think about human-robot interaction, service automation, and the ethical imperative to use technology for societal benefit.