How Users, Facility Managers, and Bystanders Perceive and Accept a Navigation Robot for Visually Impaired People in Public Buildings
Facility Managers' Comments
Index
- Policies for Visitors with Visual Impairments
- Positive Comments for the Robot
- Privacy Concerns
- Visibility Concerns
- Safety Concerns
Policies for Visitors with Visual Impairments
*As part of staff training, we take a course to experience a simulation of visual impairment by wearing goggles.
F2: Rehabilitation Center, Technical Advisor
*We have instruction manuals for taking care of people with disabilities, including visually impaired people.
F3: Polyclinic, Management Improving Team
*We have instruction manuals for assisting people with disabilities and manuals that mention visually impaired people. Although our facility does not have a system for directly guiding visually impaired people to exhibits, we have a supplementary tool to help them understand exhibit contents through voice.
F5: Science Museum, Visitor Service
*In our facility, there are no clear rules or documents on how to assist visually impaired people.
F1: Polyclinic, Shopping Mall, Tenant Management
*We do not have guidelines or training courses so far. I cannot say our facility actively takes care of visually impaired people.
F4: Real Estate Development Co., Customer Support
*Our company does not have a department that handles accessibility. Our company is not well prepared for assisting people with disabilities.
F6: Discount Store, Business Consultant
Positive Comments for the Robot
*This robot was moving about naturally, and I did not feel any safety issues with it. ... The size of the robot is an advantage of this robot. Because this robot is about the size of a suitcase, stores can respond to its users like they do to customers carrying a suitcase and do not need to take any special measures.
F1: Shopping Mall, Tenant Management
I was surprised that the robot was in the shape of a suitcase. The robot's movements were so intelligent that surrounding people might not notice that the user was visually impaired.
F3: Polyclinic, Magagement Improving Team
*I think the best use case for this robot is to guide our patients. Since the hospital is large and complex and it is difficult to know where to go, especially for first-time patients, this robot would be helpful for such people.
F3: Polyclinic, Magagement Improving Team
*I think this robot would be useful not only for people with visual impairments but also for other people. It would be a good idea to introduce this robot to facilities where many people, such as inbound tourists, are visiting for the first time.
F4: Real Estate Development Co., Customer Support
Privacy Concerns
If the robot is used for assisting people with visual impairments (PVI) and does not record surrounding information, we would like to ask stores in our shopping malls to accept the robot the same as guide dogs. I think it would be essential to inform the stores of the robot's purpose and the handling of the captured data in advance.
F1: Shopping Mall, Tenant Management
*There is a concern that customers may misunderstand the purpose of the robot's camera, which could cause some trouble. When we installed a temperature monitoring system during the COVID-19 outbreak, we received an inquiry about how the face recognition data is managed. If the robot lets the surrounding visitors know that it is used for supporting users, they will accept the robot's camera.
F3: Polyclinic, Magagement Improving Team
Because service robots are still uncommon, and some visitors may be suspicious of the robot's camera, it would be good to announce that the robot belongs to the facility. For example, we can put stickers on robots and stores, broadcasts inside the building, and use digital signage.
F1: Shopping Mall, Tenant Management
We should inform visitors that an assistive robot is moving throughout the museum and how captured data is handled by putting a poster at the entrance. Because we agree that PVI do not want to attract people's attention, the robot itself may not have to be overly conspicuous.
F5: Science Museum, Facility Management
Visibility Concerns
If surrounding people notice users of guide dogs, they will move out of the way. This robot may be perceived as a suitcase for travel. I think that public would not notice that the user is visually impaired or would not avoid them.
F1: Shopping Mall, Tenant Management
*If surrounding people notice people who are visually impaired, they will avoid collision. In the case of hospitals, surrounding staff members will help. If the user does not mind, the system should inform surrounding people that the user is visually impaired.
F3: Polyclinic, Management Improving Team
I think that the robot will assimilate into surrounding environments and that people will not avoid it. Because the crowdedness of the facility changes depending on the season, I'm worried about whether the robot can avoid collision in crowded situations. If the robot informs the surrounding people that the user is visually impaired, people could avoid them, reducing the risk of collision.
F4: Real Estate Development Co., Corporate Social Responsibility Promoter
Safety Concerns
*Our facility does not have any standards for evaluating safety. The ISO standards have three types (Mobile servant robot, physical assistant robot, and person carrier robot) of standards for service robots [ISO 13482]. This suitcase would not apply to any of them, so we need to define a new standard.
F2: Rehabilitation Center, Vice Director and O\&M Specialist
Because our facility does not have any past cases of safety verification, the introduction of robots will face barriers in terms of safety at this stage. If the public guidelines issued by the government, standards, and safety tests could be used for objective evaluation, I think they could be criteria for introducing robots.
F4: Real Estate Development Co., Customer Support
As for guidelines regarding the safety of robots, our stores are unusual environments (corridors are very narrow). Even if there are no legal problems, we do not know if our stores would not have any problems, so I think we need to verify this in our stores.
F6: Discount Store, Corporate Officer
*Many of our visitors are children. I'm worried about the risk of children making unexpected movements and colliding with the robot.
F5: Science Museum, Visitor Service
In our stores, the corridors between shelves are narrow (1m~1.6m). There is the risk of shoppers or clerks tripping.
F6: Discount Store, Store Designer