A Study on the Acceptance Attitudes of Chinese Populations Towards Service Robots in the Midst of an Epidemic

Abstract

Before the World Health Organization declared novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) a pandemic in 2019, service robots were already in use and in the process of being further developed. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, frontline service robots became a hot topic of discussion to keep social distance and control the outbreak. And now, as each country adapts to the new crown epidemic normality, China is still pursuing a dynamic clearance policy. In this particular context, and in turn, the analysis online review examines the perceptions and attitudes of the Chinese public towards the application of robots in the service industry. Their evaluations of service robots on five dimensions are summarized. It is concluded that the public is more receptive to service robots, finds them useful for epidemic prevention and control and is amused and curious. This provides a reference for those in charge of many service industries, such as the hospitality tourism industry, to take advantage of this opportunity to develop services as a combination of robots and humans to further broaden the market.