Towards a User-Centered Design Approach for the Development of Social Assistive Robots in Office Environments

The integration of robots into our daily lives is progressing steadily. Vacuum cleaner robots, for example, will already represent a very extensive market segment in 2024. A further step in the near future will involve the use of humanoid robots, for example, in the office, in restaurant or café service, and in elderly care.
In this paper, we present a comprehensive user-centered design approach for the development of social robots in the office environment. User needs, technical requirements, specific user interactions, as well as environmental and human factors are considered in an appropriate way without raising exaggerated expectations or disregarding possible fears. We present an in-depth methodical description of the design process, its practical application, and initial findings for two specific scenarios. Additionally, we identified key challenges that are highly relevant for practical use in the office environment.