Consider the human work experience when integrating robotics in the workplace
Name
welfare-hallowell-shah-riek-HRI19.pdf
Description
Accepted version
Size
2.26 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
5ee7d349ac80318d1a69638f0c5952ee
Author(s)
Welfare, Katherine S.
Hallowell, Matthew R.
Shah, Julie A
Riek, Laurel D.
Date Issued
2019
Journal
ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction
Publisher
IEEE
Citation
Welfare, Katherine S., et al., "Consider the human work experience when integrating robotics in the workplace." HRI '19: 14th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, Mar. 11-14, 2019, Daegu, South Korea, IEEE, 2019: p. 75-84 doi 10.1109/HRI.2019.8673139 ©2019 Author(s)
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Worldwide, manufacturers are reimagining the future of their workforce and its connection to technology. Rather than replacing humans, Industry 5.0 explores how humans and robots can best complement one another's unique strengths. However, realizing this vision requires an in-depth understanding of how workers view the positive and negative attributes of their jobs, and the place of robots within it. In this paper, we explore the relationship between work attributes and automation goals by engaging in field research at a manufacturing plant. We conducted 50 face-to-face interviews with assembly-line workers (n=50), which we analyzed using discourse analysis and social constructivist methods. We found that the work attributes deemed most positive by participants include social interaction, movement and exercise, (human) autonomy, problem solving, task variety, and building with their hands. The main negative work attributes included health and safety issues, feeling rushed, and repetitive work. We identified several ways robots could help reduce negative work attributes and enhance positive ones, such as reducing work interruptions and cultivating physical and psychological well-being. Based on our findings, we created a set of integration considerations for organizations planning to deploy robotics technology, and discuss how the manufacturing and HRI communities can explore these ideas in the future.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1109/HRI.2019.8673139
