Pepper on the Job: Applying Social Robots in Employee Training
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Donnermann, Melissa; Rossin, Franziska; Lugrin, Birgit
- Source
- 2023 32nd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), 2023 32nd IEEE International Conference on. :491-498 Aug, 2023
- Subject
- Communication, Networking and Broadcast Technologies
Computing and Processing
Robotics and Control Systems
Signal Processing and Analysis
Training
Social robots
Companies
- Language
- ISSN
- 1944-9437
Advancing digitization in working environments brings up the necessity of lifelong learning as well as technology-supported employee training. Research on social robots has already demonstrated their potential to support adults in their learning process. In this study, we focus on potential benefits of applying a social robot for employee training. We conducted a field study in cooperation with a company and set-up two conditions: a robot-supported learning environment and the onscreen learning environment the company usually uses for employee training. Our results show a positive perception of the robot and participants of the robot condition reported significantly more enjoyment while learning. Half of the participants are willing to use it again in the future: some prefer the robot-supported training over the onscreen training, while others were interested to use both options. However, the other half stick with onscreen learning in the future and there were no significant differences between motivation and learning success between the two groups.