Can Androids Be Salespeople in the Real World?

Abstract

The roles of robots in the real world have become more diverse depending on their bodily properties. In this study, we aim to determine the roles that androids, whose bodily properties resemble humans, could serve in the real world. Selling and purchasing are common human activities. Therefore, we proposed the use of an android as a salesperson with cognitive and affective strategies utilizing the advantages of online- and counter- selling methods. We conducted a field study to investigate whether androids could sell goods in a department store. As a result, our sales strategies worked well and the android could sell 43 sweaters that cost approximately 100 dollars each for 10 days. These results are important knowledge for determining how androids may serve new roles and communicate with humans in the real world.