Social Robotics Business and Computing

Abstract

Lewis, 2014), as therapeutic robots for children with autism spectrum disorder (Cabibihan et al., 2013), and as educational robots for special teaching-learning approaches (Kim et al., 2015).Social robots are innovative autonomous systems that feature a physical robot component, typically designed with a humanoid or anthropomorphic form (Sandini, 2019). They are connected to online services through a network infrastructure, which allows them to go beyond traditional robotic functionality (de Araujo et al., 2022). Equipped with devices such as cameras, microphones, and sensors, they can capture a user's physical activity state (e.g., walking, standing, running, etc.), store personalized information (e.g., face, voice, location, activity pattern, etc.), and interact with humans through communication and service delivery (Wirtz et al., 2018). Empowered with characteristics such as speech, gestures, and eye-gaze, which can be customized to a particular user or social context, social robots can behave like natural partners engaging humans in social interactions (Robert, et al., 2020). Thus, social robots use body language that corresponds to the information being expressed verbally, simulating human behavior and attitude. They can be programmed to interact with humans by performing tasks that adhere to specific social cues and rules. Examples of social robots are SoftBank Robotics' Pepper, Romeo and NAO, ASUS's Zenbo, Misty Robotics' Misty II, Blue Frog Robotics' Buddy, Human Robotics' Robios, and Ubtech Robotics' Lynx.Social robots often come equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities that enable features such as human facial, voice, and emotion recognition, providing for more immersive and interactive experiences (Sandini, et al., 2018;Wu, 2015;Chen, 2021). Along with AI, these robots rely on network data transmission protocols and cloud data storage to function optimally. They also often feature human-like personalities and characteristics to enhance human-machine communication (Wykowska et al., 2015;Sorrentino et al., 2021). The range of activities that social robots can perform