Adoption Of Robots Research Articles

Neuromorphic vision based control for the precise positioning of robotic drilling systems

The manufacturing industry is currently witnessing a paradigm shift with the unprecedented adoption of industrial robots, and machine vision is a key perception technology that enables these robots to perform precise operations in unstructured environments. However, the sensitivity of conventional vision sensors to lighting conditions and high-speed motion sets a limitation on the reliability and work-rate of production lines. Neuromorphic vision is a recent technology with the potential to address the challenges of conventional vision with its high temporal resolution, low latency, and wide dynamic range. In this paper and for the first time, we propose a novel neuromorphic vision based controller for robotic machining applications to enable faster and more reliable operation, and present a complete robotic system capable of performing drilling tasks with sub-millimeter accuracy. Our proposed system localizes the target workpiece in 3D using two perception stages that we developed specifically for the asynchronous output of neuromorphic cameras. The first stage performs multi-view reconstruction for an initial estimate of the workpiece’s pose, and the second stage refines this estimate for a local region of the workpiece using circular hole detection. The robot then precisely positions the drilling end-effector and drills the target holes on the workpiece using a combined position-based and image-based visual servoing approach. The proposed solution is validated experimentally for drilling nutplate holes on workpieces placed arbitrarily in an unstructured environment with uncontrolled lighting. Experimental results prove the effectiveness of our solution with maximum positional errors of less than 0.2 mm, and demonstrate that the use of neuromorphic vision overcomes the lighting and speed limitations of conventional cameras. The findings of this paper identify neuromorphic vision as a promising technology that can expedite and robustify robotic manufacturing processes in line with the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution. • We present a neuromorphic visual controller approach for precise robotic machining. • We devise an event-based 3D reconstruction method for the localization of workpieces. • We develop an event-based method for the detection and tracking of circular objects. • We preform experiments that validate the proposed method in a robotic drilling setup. • The presented system can perform drilling tasks with sub-millimeter precision. • Results demonstrate the performance and robustness advantages of neuromorphic vision.

The role of robot adoption in green innovation: Evidence from China

The role of robot adoption in green innovation: Evidence from China

Do industrial robots affect the labour market? Evidence from China

AbstractThe industrial robot is an essential part of modern manufacturing. Using micro‐level data, this study investigates the effects of industrial robots on the labour market in China. The results show that the adoption of industrial robots increases firm‐level employment by 31.65%. Using the Bartik method, we construct robot penetration as an instrumental variable of robot adoption to tackle endogenous problems. Our results stand up to a series of robustness checks. Moreover, the effects of robots are mainly owing to the expansion of the output scale, increased productivity, and upgraded products. We also find the skill‐biased impact of robots and the spillover effect of industrial robots through production networks.

Older adult perspectives on emotion and stigma in social robots.

Social robot adoption by older adults and people living with dementia is limited by several barriers, including a lack of emotional alignment with social robots and perceptions of stigma around social robot use. The goal of this work was to address these barriers by engaging end-users in discussions on factors that could affect emotional connection to a social robot and considerations around using a social robot in public. We conducted seven 90-min online workshops with older adults with (n = 2) and without dementia (n = 25) and care partners (n = 17). Older adults with and without dementia were in their 50s - 80s, and care partners were in their 30s - 70s. Seven older adults, seven care partners, and one older adult with dementia indicated that they had used a robot before. Online workshops had 4-8 participants each, and began with video demonstrations of pet-like robot MiRo and tabletop robot T-Top, as well as a live demonstration of MiRo. Participants completed the Multi-Dimensional Robot Attitude Scale before the workshops and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale and two Zoom polls during the workshops. The audio and chat responses from the workshops were transcribed verbatim and content analysis was performed on the transcripts. Our analysis revealed three broad themes and 10 subthemes. In their discussions on features and applications, participants highlighted preferred forms of communication with a robot and ways in which a robot could support connection between people. For example, robots could improve the quality of communication between care partners and the person for whom they care. While many agreed that a social robot should match their level of emotion and interactivity, participants had different preferences for social robot emotional range and display features. Finally, participants discussed considerations around showing a robot to other people; several participants suggested that a robot could help raise awareness of ageing and dementia while others shared concerns about stigma and attracting negative attention from an audience. Incorporating these findings into the design and implementation of social robots will result in devices that are better-suited to the needs of older adults, people living with dementia, and care partners.

Robots, skills and temporary jobs: evidence from six European countries

ABSTRACT In our analysis of the impact of robot adoption on the use of flexible contracts in six European countries, we find that control for the type of innovation model that is dominant in an industry is crucial. In a ‘high knowledge cumulativeness’ innovation regime, robot adoption reduces the probability that high-skilled workers will receive temporary contracts, while no significant effect has been found for medium- and low-skilled workers. The rationale is: In a high cumulativeness regime, innovation depends on a firm’s internal knowledge sources, and high-skilled (rather than medium- and low-skilled) workers are crucial carriers of knowledge. The situation is different in ‘low-cumulativeness’ regimes. In the latter, firms are primarily using externally acquired knowledge in their innovation process. This makes workers more easily interchangeable and robot adoption significantly increases the probability to get temporary jobs for both medium- and high-skilled workers, but leaves low-skilled workers unaffected.

Mapping socio-technical dependencies to enable the successful adoption of collaborative robots in industry

Collaborative robots (cobots) allow for combining complementary strengths of humans and robots. However, this close human-cobot interaction creates a highly complex socio-technical system. This is a key adoption and integration challenge as it complicates an understanding of dependencies between cobots and their surrounding workplace: while a cobot needs to fit to the product to be manipulated, the human operator and the workplace, those three domains also need to be adjusted to allow for a successful cobot use. This paper presents a matrix-based approach to analyze dependencies between the four domains; (1) cobot, (2) product, (3) human/operator, and (4) workplace.

Prospective analysis of impact of learning curve in robotic-assisted rectal surgery in the high-volume Indian tertiary care centre.

Minimally invasive surgery in rectal cancer has gained prominence owing to its various advantages in surgical outcomes. Due to rapid adoption of robotics in rectal surgery, we intended to assess the pace in which surgeons gain proficiency using cumulative summation (CUSUM) technique in learning curve. This was a prospective study of 262 rectal cancer cases who underwent robotic-assisted low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection (RA-LAR and RA-APR). Parameters considered for the study were console time, docking time, lymph nodal yield, total operative time and post-operative outcomes. We used Manipal technique of port placements and modified centroside docking for the procedure. The mean age of our study was 46.62 ± 5.7 years, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 31.51 ± 3.2 kg/m2. 215 (82.06%) underwent RA-LAR and 47 (17.93%) underwent RA-APR. 2.67% of cases required to open during our initial period. We had three phases of learning curve, initial phase (11th case), plateau phase (29th case) and then phases of mastery (30th case onwards). Our mean total operative time reduced from 5.5 to 3.5 h (210 ± 8.2 min), console time from 4.5 to 2.9 h (174 ± 4.5 min) and docking time from 15 to 9 ± 1 min from 30th case onwards. RA surgeries for rectal cancer have got good oncological and functional outcomes in high BMI, male pelvis and low rectal cancers. Learning curve can be shortened with constant self-auditing of the surgeon and team with each surgeries performed, reviewing the steps and by improving techniques.

Exploring the relationship between robot employees' perceptions and robot-induced unemployment under COVID-19 in the Jordanian hospitality sector

The topic of robots is gaining traction in both academic discourse and popular media due to their growing prevalence in the hospitality sector. The hospitality industry is likely to encounter practical challenges in adopting the increased use of robots. The primary objective of the present research was to conduct an empirical investigation into a theoretical framework that explores how employees view robot-caused unemployment, with particular attention given to their perceptions of robot adoption. The study utilised structural equation modelling to analyse data obtained from 401 service employees in Jordan through online questionnaires. The findings indicate that the perception of robot-induced unemployment among employees is significantly influenced by their social skills, perceived risk, awareness, and trust in using service robots. The present study established a theoretical framework for investigating user perceptions of robot-induced unemployment within the particular setting of hospitality robots. The findings offer valuable insights for guiding future development and research efforts in the hotel service robot industry as well as informing marketing strategies for hotel managers. Ultimately, these efforts may contribute to the sustainable growth of service robots and associated sectors, including the hotel service sector.

Policy on the Efficient use of Robotics in the Automobile Parts Industry

Globally, automobile companies are converting labor-intensive processes to automated processes to secure competitiveness and reduce costs. In 2020, Korea was the fifth largest automobile producer; however, it faced a population decline and rising labor costs. Korean auto parts companies are in a dilemma-whether to adopt manufacturing robots and have trouble due to financial burden or suffer the lack of technology. Hence, Korean auto parts companies often receive national policy funding to adopt manufacturing robots. Therefore, for sustainable policy support, the efficiency and productivity of manufacturing robot adoption must be analyzed considering government policy support. We divided the activities of automobile parts companies into operating activity and financing activity consisting of production and sales. Moreover, we used the Dynamic Network Slacks-Based Measure (DNSBM) model. This study used KIS-VALUE data from Korea. The analysis results revealed that the overall efficiency (0.3822) was low because of the low efficiency of operating activity productivity (0.4342) and the gap between operating activity productivity and financing activity efficiency (0.7702). Moreover, the total factor productivity (0.9534) decreased because of decreases in operating activity productivity (0.9507) and financing activity productivity (0.9841). From 2016 to 2020, when the manufacturing robot adoption policy was implemented, the difference in corporate efficiency according to policy support was significant. Korea’s manufacturing robot adoption policy contributes to the improvement of corporate competitiveness. This study presents the objective evidence necessary for future policy establishment to direct resource readjustment of Korean auto parts companies and analyze past policy.

Robots and the productivity of local manufacturing systems in Emilia-Romagna: the mediating role of occupational similarity and complexity

ABSTRACT During the last decade, a growing literature has been assessing the impact of industrial robots on productivity and employment. At the local level, the labour-displacing effect of robot adoption can be counterbalanced by a task reallocation between manufacturing industries characterized by similar/related occupational spaces. This reallocation process can be also influenced by the average degree of occupational complexity of the local labour markets. To test for the mediating role of similarity and complexity in the robot-employment-productivity relationship, we develop a two-step analysis mixing information from different data sources on 15 industries and 39 local labour market areas of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, for the period 2008–2017. Our analysis shows that higher exposure to robots does not affect the aggregate level of labour productivity, but, rather, is associated with a decline in (high routine) employment after three years. We further show that the negative relationship between robots and employment decreases, or even vanishes, in local labour markets with high cross-industry occupational similarity and low occupational or task complexity, and within industrial districts.

How Does Trusting Belief Affect Service Robot Adoption in Hotels as an Antecedent of Affective Reaction?

How Does Trusting Belief Affect Service Robot Adoption in Hotels as an Antecedent of Affective Reaction?

Air pollution, water pollution, and robots: Is technology the panacea

The degradation of the ecological environment caused by industrialization presents a major challenge for policymakers as they aim to develop sustainability. Is there a way to balance industrial growth and environmental sustainability? To answer this pressing question, we constructed a micro-level longitudinal dataset containing 41,419 firms with 148,877 observations during 2000–2013 to develop a fine-grained understanding of the environmental implications as firms closely follow the recent technology trend in automation and intelligence. Our findings strongly support business environmental management strategies of using autonomous and intelligent technologies as a response to more rigorous environmental regulations, while caution has to be made on the notion that “technology is everything.” The increasing level of robot adoption contributes to pollution abatement in an intensive form mediated by productivity change, change-in-process, and end-of-pipe interventions. A further decomposition of the productivity effect implies that the drop in the emission intensity of the exhaust gas is due to the rise in total outputs and the decline in air pollution level. In contrast, the drop in the emission intensity for exhaust water is because of the rise of total outputs exceeding the rise of water pollution level. Furthermore, the heterogeneity analyses provide rich implications to guide environmental management practices.

Heterogeneity of Attitudes toward Robots in Healthcare among the Chinese Public: A Latent Profile Analysis

Attitudes are deemed critical psychological variables that can determine end users' acceptance and adoption of robots. This study explored the heterogeneity of the Chinese public's attitudes toward robots in healthcare and examined demographic characteristics associated with the derived profile membership. The data were collected from a sample of 428 Chinese who participated in an online survey. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct subgroups regarding attitudes toward robots-optimistic (36.9%), neutral (47.2%), and ambivalent (15.9%). Interestingly, although participants in the ambivalent attitude profile held more negative attitudes toward interaction with or social influence of healthcare robots, their attitudes tended to be positive when it came to emotional interactions with healthcare robots. All the respondents reported negative attitudes toward the social influence of healthcare robots. Multivariable regression analysis results showed that there were significant differences in age, education level, monthly income, experience with computers, experience with wearable devices, and whether to follow robot-related news or not. This study confirmed the heterogeneity of the Chinese public's attitudes toward robots in healthcare and highlighted the importance of emotional interaction with and social influence of healthcare robots, which might facilitate a better understanding of the needs and expectations of potential end users for robots in healthcare to make them more acceptable in different situations.

Robotics in industrialized construction: an activity-based ranking system for assembly manufacturing tasks

PurposeDespite the proven evidence of ever-growing productivity gains in the manufacturing industry as a result of years of research and investment in advanced technologies, such as robotics, the adoption of robots in construction is still lagging. The existing literature lacks technical frameworks and guidelines that account for the one-of-a-kind nature of construction projects and the myriad of materials and dimensional components in construction activities. This study seeks to address existing technical uncertainty and productivity issues associated with the application of robotics in the assembly-type manufacturing of industrialized construction.Design/methodology/approachTo facilitate the selection of suitable robotic arms for industrialized construction activities, primarily assembly-type manufacturing tasks of offsite production processes, an activity-based ranking system based on axiomatic design principles is proposed. The proposed ranking system utilizes five functional requirements derived from robot characteristics—speed, payload, reach, degrees of freedom and position repeatability—to evaluate robot performance in an industrialized construction task using simulations of a framing station.FindingsBased on design parameters obtained from activity-based simulations, seventy six robotic arms suitable for the framing task were scored and ranked. According to the sensitivity analysis of proposed functional requirements, speed is the key functional requirement that has a notable effect on productivity of a framing station and is thus the determinant in robot performance assessment for framing tasks.Originality/valueThe proposed ranking system is expected to augment automation in construction and serve as a preliminary guideline to help construction professionals in making informed decisions regarding the adoption of robotic arms.

How do care service managers and workers perceive care robot adoption in elderly care facilities?

Amid growing social interest and investment in the implementation of robots throughout the elderly care system, the benefits and challenges faced by care facility personnel have also gathered attention. This study investigates the social representations of care robots held by two groups – care service managers and care workers – who play critical roles in organizational adoption within care facilities. The social representation model assumed in this paper is particularly well-suited to help understand the perceptions and attitudes of different stakeholders toward care robots. We conducted 25 face-to-face interviews with 12 care service managers and 13 care workers in Korean care facilities, and identified 18 topics as elements of social representation. Core-periphery analysis revealed an apparent contrast between the two groups in their fundamental elements and structures: namely, the dominant social representation of care service managers was negative; that of care workers was positive. The difference in roles and responsibilities between the two groups yielded contrasting perceptions and attitudes toward care robots. The potential implications for the government and the industry are presented alongside an interpretation of the results.

Robots in tourism and Sustainable Development Goals: Tourism Agenda 2030 perspective article

PropósitoEl propósito de este artículo de perspectiva es investigar el papel de los robots en la contribución del turismo al logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS).Diseño/metodología/propuestaLos autores aportan una interpretación sobre los impactos, tanto positivos como negativos de los robots en el turismo hacia el logro de los ODS sobre un profundo análisis de los 17 ODS y sus 169 metas.HallazgosPara varios ODS, el impacto positivo de los robots en el turismo es evidente, mientras que para otros puede debatirse, ya que la adopción de robots puede generar impactos tanto positivos como negativos, dependiendo principalmente de cómo se utilicen. En particular, los robots pueden proporcionar un entorno de trabajo digno para los empleados de turismo y hostelería (ODS 8) que realizan tareas peligrosas, al tiempo que reducen el consumo de recursos (ODS 2, 6, 7, 12, 13) debido a su contribución a la eficacia y eficiencia de una empresa turística. De igual forma, los robots tienen algunos impactos en el medio ambiente, tanto en términos de uso de recursos (su fabricación se basa en materiales de tierras raras y los robots demandan energía) como de producción, especialmente para la gestión de desechos tóxicos (p. ej., baterías).OriginalidadEste artículo de perspectiva es uno de los primeros estudios que investigan el papel que pueden desempeñar los robots en el logro de los ODS por parte de las empresas de turismo y hostelería.Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigaciónLa principal limitación de este artículo de perspectiva es la falta de medición empírica de los efectos de los robots en el turismo en el logro de los ODS. Sin embargo, es una exploración necesaria como base para futuras investigaciones.Implicaciones prácticasEste artículo de perspectiva puede ser útil para que los fabricantes de robots identifiquen los aspectos positivos y negativos al diseñar robots sostenibles (en términos de eficiencia energética, gestión del final de la vida útil de los componentes, etc.) y así cumplir con las expectativas de los ODS. Puede ser útil para las empresas de turismo y hostelería cuando sus gerentes evalúan, si adoptar o no robots en las operaciones de servicioImplicaciones socialesEsta contribución discute las implicaciones sociales en la adopción de robots en el turismo y la hostelería, específicamente en términos de nuevas oportunidades de empleo, y en la sustitución de humanos en tareas rutinarias, aburridas o peligrosas. Ayuda a los responsables políticos a adoptar mejores políticas para fomentar el uso de robots en el turismo y la hostelería teniendo en cuenta las ramificaciones ambientales y sociales de éstos.

Does robotization affect job quality? Evidence from European regional labor markets.

Whereas there are recent papers on the effect of robot adoption on employment and wages, there is no evidence on how robots affect non-monetary working conditions. We explore the impact of robot adoption on several domains of non-monetary working conditions in Europe over the period 1995-2005 combining information from the World Robotics Survey and the European Working Conditions Survey. In order to deal with the possible endogeneity of robot deployment, we employ an instrumental variables strategy, using the robot exposure by sector in other developed countries as an instrument. Our results indicate that robotization has a negative impact on the quality of work in the dimension of work intensity and no relevant impact on the domains of physical environment or skills and discretion.

Adoption of personal service robots in India

Adopting a new product depends on consumers’ product perceptions, psychographics, and cultural contexts. This study combines stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) and two-factor models to develop a comprehensive model for consumers’ intention to adopt artificial intelligence-powered personal service robots. Data were collected from 400 consumers in India, using existing validated scales from the literature. Structural equation modelling and path analysis were used to test the model fit. Findings suggest that consumers’ intention to adopt a personal service robot is based on perceived usefulness and risk, mediated by resistance bias. Contributions to the extant academic knowledge and marketing applications are discussed.

Using telepresence robots to support family virtual visits during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted older adults living with dementia in Long-Term Care (LTC). Social isolation and loss of connections with families among residents have been detrimental and severely impacted quality of life. This project aims to enhance LTC homes' capacity to support virtual family visits using a telepresence robot. Is it feasible to implement robotic-assisted virtual care in LTC homes? We applied a Collaborative Action Research (CAR) approach to work with stakeholders (frontline leaders, staff, patient and family partners) to explore the experiences of virtual family visits in four Canadian LTC homes. Guided by the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR), we conducted an online survey, interviews, focus groups, and observations to explore implementation experience. Our analysis identified three themes: (a) Relative advantage: Easy to visit, (b) Capacity for change: Readiness and organizational support, (c) Cultural safety for robot adoption: Champions leading the way during challenging times. Our preliminary results suggest staff, residents, and families appreciated the robot for easy connection. Future research should apply inclusive methods to bring relevant stakeholders together to fully explore user experiences - who is affected in what ways and the benefits, risks, and burdens of emerging technologies.

Consumer adoption of autonomous delivery robots in cities: Implications on urban planning and design policies

Five hundred survey responses on consumer acceptance of autonomous delivery robots (ADRs) were collected because the pandemic has increased the emphasis on contactless deliveries, spurring some interest in ADRs to perform last-mile deliveries in urban cities. To examine consumers' intention to adopt ADRs, a comprehensive theoretical model grounded on the Health Belief Model and Task-Technology Fit Model was presented and structural equation modeling was applied to examine the survey data. The analysis revealed that the constructs from both theories have significant effects on outcome expectations and task-technology fit. Additionally, outcome expectations and task-technology fit are strong predictors of consumers' intention, as indicated by their direct and indirect effects. Thus, this study enriches existing research by interpreting consumers' intention to adopt ADRs through health and technology perspectives. It also provides practical implications and policy recommendations for urban planning and design.