RAS | CO-OWNERSHIP OF CLEANING ROBOTS
GOALS OF THE PROJECT:
- Understand the current state of the art on workers-robot relationships on the topic of ownership through literature review and empirical work;
- Involve workers, employers and RAS representatives in a workshop to understand values, perspectives and roles, co-imagine scenarios and consequences, and co-shape strategy and tools to take action;
- Combine insights from the above in a tangible, actionable toolbox that can be used long-term to create awareness, understanding and emancipation on how robot operate in the cleaning industry.
Background & Description:
The cleaning industry is increasingly incorporating technology into its operations. Robotic cleaning systems, for instance, could make cleaning work easier, foster sustainable employability, and help create a more inclusive labor market, particularly for older employees, or employees with physical or mental limitations. To examine how robots can positively contribute to cleaning work, previous (PDEng) projects have explored the role and functional aspects of robotics in the cleaning industry, as well as the development of a prototype smart robot. This specific project focuses on the concept of ownership, a crucial facet to consider if robots are to be viewed as colleagues of professionals in the clearing industry. In the cleaning industry, robots are often implemented and owned by employers. As robots can gather all kinds of data from their environment and make decisions based on that data, this has important implications for their role in the organization and whether they are perceived as a cleaning tool, colleague, or a threat. For example, cleaners might feel like they are being monitored by the robot, which could decrease their willingness to work with the robot and their acceptance of it. Also, questions arise about who has the authority to access the data collected by the robot, and who has a say in the algorithms used to analyze the data.
Consortium:
- The Council for Industrial Relations in the Cleaning and Window Cleaning Industry
- University of Twente, DesignLab
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