Modern Human-Robot Interaction in Smart Services and Value Co-creation

Modern work design must re-examine human-robot interaction and consider ways to effectively utilize emerging industrial capabilities such as collaborative robots and humanoids in the context of usability and our emerging service economy. By incorporating human aspects into technology-based efforts focused on value co-creation, it appears likely that inexpensive collaborative robots and humanoids can serve as integral parts of effective smart service systems designs. Ways to create value through such human-robot interaction are highlighted through recent research. A change in paradigm will need to occur to shift emphasis from `block the path' to `design out' when it comes to effective human-robot interaction in the workplace. It is apparent that smart service development will continue through multi-disciplinary initiatives that are human-centered. Usability and other human factors principles will continue to be central to successes. Organizational aspects that recognize fundamental relationships between job satisfaction and service quality can provide a foundation upon which capabilities of humanoids and collaborative robots can be leveraged in modern industrial and smart operations.