Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Ruiying Cai is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of service robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-machine interaction, with a particular focus on the hospitality industry. Her most influential work, "Developing and validating a service robot integration willingness scale" (2019), has garnered 941 citations, establishing a foundational framework for understanding how customers and employees accept robotic technologies in service settings. Cai's research critically examines the human dimensions of automation, notably exploring "robot-phobia" as an occupational stressor in her 2024 study, which investigates how hospitality workers perceive robots as threats to their employment. Her innovative approach extends to developing the Scale of AI Anthropomorphism (SAIA), a holistic framework published in 2025 that reconceptualizes how we attribute human-like qualities to AI systems across different service contexts. Earlier work demonstrated her versatility, including research using physiological data from wearable devices to analyze correlations between personality traits and behaviors under specific emotional states. Through her rigorous scale development methodologies and attention to both employee and customer perspectives, Cai has become a leading voice in understanding the psychological and practical implications of service robot integration, making her work essential reading for scholars and practitioners navigating the future of automated hospitality.