A. Hamidi‐Noori and Andrew Templer
The lagging growth in productivity of many western industries has at last captured public attention. Many observers attribute the problem, at least in part, to management…
Abstract
The lagging growth in productivity of many western industries has at last captured public attention. Many observers attribute the problem, at least in part, to management reluctance to invest in the capital equipment necessary to automate production systems at fully competitive levels. Not all such investments, however, result in equivalent benefits. This article presents the findings of a recent survey on robotisation plans, and based on these findings, a conceptual model is developed which attempts to set out the different factors which should be considered when introducing industrial robots. In addition, some attention is given to the related literature on the reasons for automation in general, and robotisation in particular.
Details
Keywords
The discussion on quality of working life begins with job design. This is clearly a field where engineers must be involved: to design the workplace according to the best ergonomic…
Abstract
The discussion on quality of working life begins with job design. This is clearly a field where engineers must be involved: to design the workplace according to the best ergonomic principles and keep the technical options open to facilitate the humanisation of work. Ergonomics and social science are essential in training professional engineers to enable them to contribute to the quality of working life.
Details
Keywords
An often asked question is “Where does the UK stand in the field of robotics?”. An honest answer to this would be “Probably, dead last ” However, judging by the attendance and…
Abstract
An often asked question is “Where does the UK stand in the field of robotics?”. An honest answer to this would be “Probably, dead last ” However, judging by the attendance and visitors to the Robots 79 conference and exhibition held in Nottingham last March and the growth of the British Robot Association over the past 18 months the UK is becoming very much aware of the benefits of robotics. Another question that is also put, which is a leading one, “Isn't the slowness of the UK in adopting robotics the result of trade union resistance?” Whilst UK union leadership is something apart it is doubtful if it is the nub of the problem. Almost universally around the world management is more worried about robotics than are the unions. Management in the executive suite talking about robots thinks they're talking dirty. Instead they might better have been open in discussing the introduction of robots with union people, telling them of the benefits and of the productivity gains and of the manner in which the product is to be introduced.
This paper is largely a gauntlet thrown before more likely contributors to Kybernetes. An effort is made first to summarize what is commercially available in an industrial robot…
Abstract
This paper is largely a gauntlet thrown before more likely contributors to Kybernetes. An effort is made first to summarize what is commercially available in an industrial robot and then to conjecture on what could reasonably be expected as the fruits of research and development in the decade ahead. By 1984, robots will have shrugged off the demeaning adjective “industrial,” if during the next decade avant‐garde roboticists warm to the tasks defined.
Unimate Industrial Robots have accumulated over 3,000,000 hours of operation on the job in a broad range of factory installations. After touching on the kinds of work experience…
Abstract
Unimate Industrial Robots have accumulated over 3,000,000 hours of operation on the job in a broad range of factory installations. After touching on the kinds of work experience, the paper attempts to look at the lessons learned from the point of view of a manufacturer weighing various means for increasing productivity. Can industrial robot history convince potential users that robots really work, that they work reliably, and that they endure on the job? Given that much, do robots offer an attractive cost/benefit outlook?
B.S. Dhillon, A.R.M. Fashandi and K.L. Liu
This paper presents a review of published literature on robot reliability and safety. The literature is classified into three main categories: robot safety; robot reliability; and…
Abstract
This paper presents a review of published literature on robot reliability and safety. The literature is classified into three main categories: robot safety; robot reliability; and miscellaneous. Robot safety is further categorized into six classifications: general; accidents; human‐factors; safety standards; safety methods; and safety systems/technologies. The period covered by the review is from 1973 to 2001.
Details
Keywords
The effective and efficient analysis and application of information lies at the heart of success in today’s world. Greater emphasis is now on the quality of information and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The effective and efficient analysis and application of information lies at the heart of success in today’s world. Greater emphasis is now on the quality of information and the confirmation of its value through effective analysis and review. This includes engaging in dialogue to enhance understanding, the empowering role of technology and the versatility that information provides.
Methodology/approach
The chapter considers the innovative use of information from different perspectives to encourage readers to reflect on their own experiences and think about their individual and organisational uses of information with a view to being creative and exploring new avenues of use. Two case studies are included to demonstrate possible approaches – not as a definitive way ahead but more as examples of possibilities.
Findings
There will continue to be new ways of innovating information – some of which we know, others which we don’t yet know. The creative thinking approach that is key to being unafraid to explore and use information to best effect is the overall finding of this chapter.
Originality/value
With the continually changing landscape of technology, the creative and original use of its application is the key to continued entrepreneurial outcomes. Some suggestions for the innovative use of information are included – certainly not a definitive list – to encourage reflection, inspire creativity and stimulate thinking with the overall aim of gaining value from information.
Details
Keywords
AT this time of the year it is customary to look back over past achievements. We are in no mood to do this. 1976 is no year to remember with any kind of nostalgia. In many…
Abstract
AT this time of the year it is customary to look back over past achievements. We are in no mood to do this. 1976 is no year to remember with any kind of nostalgia. In many industries it had a history of almost never‐ending strife. No sooner was one dispute ended than another began. So often, too, a small handful of men have rendered a whole workforce — or a proportion of it far larger than their own numbers would seem possible — out of action.
More awareness of the variations in robot types and technology is necessary. The impact on human operators appears to vary significantly between the different types of robot, and…
Abstract
More awareness of the variations in robot types and technology is necessary. The impact on human operators appears to vary significantly between the different types of robot, and there is a large variation in the Motivating Potential Scores of operators, with those of articulated intelligent robot operators being the highest.
Details
Keywords
This study investigates human behavior, specifically attitude and anxiety, toward humanoid service robots in a hotel business environment.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates human behavior, specifically attitude and anxiety, toward humanoid service robots in a hotel business environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The researcher adopted direct observations and interviews to complete the study. Visitors of Henn-na Hotel were observed and their spatial distance from the robots, along with verbal and non-verbal behavior, was recorded. The researcher then invited the observed hotel guests to participate in a short interview.
Findings
Most visitors showed a positive attitude towards the robot. More than half of the visitors offered compliments when they first saw the robot receptionists although they hesitated and maintained a distance from them. Hotel guests were also disappointed with the low human–robot interaction (HRI). As the role of robots in hotels currently remains at the presentation level, a comprehensive assessment of their interactive ability is lacking.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the HRI theory by confirming that people may treat robots as human strangers when they first see them. When a robot's face is more realistic, people expect it to behave like an actual human being. However, as the sample size of this study was small and all visitors were Asian, the researcher cannot generalize the results to the wider population.
Practical implications
Current robot receptionist has limited interaction ability. Hotel practitioners could learn about hotel guests' behavior and expectation towards android robots to enhance satisfaction and reduce disappointment.
Originality/value
Prior robot research has used questionnaires to investigate perceptions and usage intention, but this study collected on-site data and directly observed people's attitude toward robot staff in an actual business environment.