On the Intention to Use the Pepper Robot as Communication Channel in a Business Context

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a user acceptance survey (based on the Technology Acceptance Model ? TAM) of the humanoid social robot Pepper as a communication channel in different information retrieval scenarios in a business context. In total, 239 passers-by participated in the survey, which had a specific focus on the impact of perceived safety and security aspects. The results revealed a positive assessment of its perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. It also showed how safety, data protection, and privacy concerns impact the intention to use the robot. The study findings are supported by the outcomes of eight expert interviews.