From Framework to Reliable Practice: End-User Perspectives on Social Robots in Public Spaces

Explainable & Ethical AI

Published: arXiv: 2511.10770v1

Authors

Samson Oruma Ricardo Colomo-Palacios Vasileios Gkioulos

Abstract

As social robots increasingly enter public environments, their acceptance depends not only on technical reliability but also on ethical integrity, accessibility, and user trust. This paper reports on a pilot deployment of an ARI social robot functioning as a university receptionist, designed in alignment with the SecuRoPS framework for secure and ethical social robot deployment. Thirty-five students and staff interacted with the robot and provided structured feedback on safety, privacy, usability, accessibility, and transparency. The results show generally positive perceptions of physical safety, data protection, and ethical behavior, while also highlighting challenges related to accessibility, inclusiveness, and dynamic interaction. Beyond the empirical findings, the study demonstrates how theoretical frameworks for ethical and secure design can be implemented in real-world contexts through end-user evaluation. It also provides a public GitHub repository containing reusable templates for ARI robot applications to support reproducibility and lower the entry barrier for new researchers. By combining user perspectives with practical technical resources, this work contributes to ongoing discussions in AI and society and supports the development of trustworthy, inclusive, and ethically responsible social robots for public spaces.

Paper Summary

Problem

As social robots start to appear in public spaces, people's acceptance of them depends on more than just how well they work. It's also about whether they're trustworthy, accessible to everyone, and respect people's privacy and safety. This paper looks at how people perceive a social robot designed to work in a university reception, and what it can teach us about creating robots that are reliable, trustworthy, and inclusive.

Key Innovation

This research is unique because it puts end-users at the center of evaluating a social robot's design and deployment. It uses a framework called SecuRoPS, which was developed to help designers create robots that are secure, safe, and ethically responsible. The study also provides a publicly available GitHub repository that contains reusable templates and resources for designing and deploying social robots, making it easier for researchers and practitioners to create their own robots that are trustworthy and inclusive.

Practical Impact

This research has practical implications for the development of social robots that can be used in public spaces. By understanding how people perceive and interact with social robots, designers can create robots that are more accessible, inclusive, and trustworthy. This can help to build trust in robots and ensure that they are used in ways that benefit society as a whole. The open-source repository provided by this research can also help to lower barriers to entry for researchers and practitioners who want to design and deploy their own social robots.

Analogy / Intuitive Explanation

Think of a social robot like a new employee at a university reception. Just as you would want to make sure the employee is friendly, helpful, and respectful of everyone's boundaries, you would want a social robot to be designed with the same principles in mind. The SecuRoPS framework is like a set of guidelines for designing robots that are secure, safe, and ethically responsible, and this research shows how it can be applied in practice to create robots that are trustworthy and inclusive.

Paper Information

Categories:

cs.RO

Published Date:

arXiv ID:

2511.10770v1

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