Exploring Interactive Services by Hotel Room Social Robots

Abstract

To explore the interaction design of an autonomous social robot stationed in a hotel room, we conducted a Wizard of Oz study. We developed a teleoperated robotic system that appears to move autonomously through voice-to-synthesis processing. Comparing the evaluation of the latest autonomous case with one of these teleoperated cases, the results show that it is possible to construct a robotic system that is more highly rated in terms of warmth, competence, intention to use, enjoyment of use, and recommendation. It was suggested that the required dialogue skills include the cognitive ability to recognize guest behavior, language comprehension, and the ability to respond to a wide range of information and topics. In addition, insights into the content of the interactive service were gained in terms of the importance of the social robot going beyond its role as a service provider to create a more equal relationship with the guest and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the guest. Through this research, it is hoped that with future technological advances, social robots will create a new form of customer service for the lodging experience.