Using the Price Sensitivity Meter to Measure the Value of Transformative Robot Sound

Abstract

Transformative robot sound can improve perceptions of robots, but its implementation will likely require more hardware and cost. Does the addition of transformative sound yield an increase in value to offset this cost? Using the van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter, a questionnaire from marketing research, n = 97 participants measured acceptable price points for a robot with (and without) transformative sound. Results showed similar perceptual improvements as past studies, as well as a significant increase in perceived value, when transformative sound was included. These increases in social and value perceptions of robots confirm the utility of adding transformative sound to robots. This work benefits the broader human-robot interaction research community by sharing more ways to understand and validate the incorporation of transformative robot sound and other robot features.