Recently, autonomous robots have been utilized increasingly for the delivery of food and packages. Even though these electrically powered vehicles have been used in the U.S. since 2018, pilot projects are just now becoming more popular in Germany. Due to their advantages for customers and society as a whole, delivery robots could become an important aspect of the scenery in future cities. More specifically, deliveries carried out by autonomous robots are environmentally friendlier and an efficient answer to the growing number of online deliveries. Furthermore, customers expect high flexibility as well as fast, but less-costly deliveries – demands which can be met by autonomous robots. However, user acceptance is essential for the successful implementation of this innovation. So far, user acceptance research surrounding autonomous delivery robots is limited and there is little empirical literature considering different application scenarios of the technology. Thus, two students of our business psychology program investigated factors influencing the customers’ acceptance of autonomous robots for last mile transportation of goods with a focus on current as well as potential future application scenarios.
Research overview
The students’ research included multiple methods. First, they conducted a quantitative survey with 420 participants, whereby the majority (60 %) of respondents was female and mostly students or full-time employees. The participants’ mean age was 37 years with a range of 18 to 86 years.
During their second study, the students held semi-structured interviews with 14 participants who represented three age groups (18-25 years, 26-35 years, and 36-55 years). While the first study concentrated on a quantitative approach to identifying factors which impact the acceptance of delivery robots focusing solely on meal and parcel deliveries, the second study aimed at exploring possible other scenarios.
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Main findings quantitative study
- Generally, autonomous delivery robots are moderately accepted by customers.
- The factors effort expectancy and performance expectancy mainly influence the acceptance.
- Acceptance for parcel deliveries, especially the performance expectancy, was found to be higher than for meal deliveries, while there was no significant difference between both scenarios regarding the effort expectancy.
Main findings interviews
- Users compare the robots with conventional alternatives, whereby added value is one of the main factors.
- The speed of parcel deliveries as well as the price, punctuality, and quality of meal deliveries were mentioned as important aspects respectively.
- The scenarios of grocery deliveries was named by numerous interviewees due to their convenience, short delivery times, and possible usage in potential emergency situations.
- Scenarios referring to the deliveries of goods from drugstores, cosmetics, and fashion items were specifically mentioned by female interviewees.
- Other mentioned scenarios included: parcel return, delivery of pharmaceuticals, bakery deliveries, deliveries of products which are uncomfortable to buy (e.g., intimate or hygiene care), personal shipments like gift delivery (e.g., flowers) or returning books to the library.
- Important factors to consider robot deliveries were: emergency situations (e.g., illness or pain), high time pressure, or when shopping is complicated (e.g., because of children).
- The Interviewees would not use robot deliveries for expensive and larger items as well as electronics, or pet shipping.
Conclusion
This work contributed to the user acceptance research of autonomous delivery robots in different contexts. Based on the study results, the customers’ acceptance of delivery robots is still limited. Hence, companies should further improve and communicate the robots’ performance possibilities as well as decrease the perceived effort to use them. Furthermore, research results suggest, that the delivery of parcel goods should be further explored, as the acceptance of such is higher than for meal deliveries, which are mainly carried out at the moment. In addition, the interviews revealed that choosing robot deliveries over conventional ones is largely dependent on an optimization or visible added value for the users. Therefore, communication and marketing of delivery robots should focus on the main advantages, such as a faster delivery. Due to the already similar way of meal deliveries compared to delivery robots, the factor price was important for the interviewees. Other advantages, such as the robots’ potential cooling- or heating-function as well as free deliveries should be highlighted by companies. However, in general, companies should emphasize the factor of “emergency” or exceptional situations, when good deliveries through autonomous robots present a solution and increase convenience. Other application contexts for delivery robots especially relate to food and pharmaceutical deliveries as well as returning parcel.
