Abstract
As robot numbers in the home increase, creating a market for second-hand robotic systems is essential to reduce the waste impact of the industry. Via a survey, consumer attitudes of United Kingdom participants towards second-hand robots were investigated; finding that second-hand robots with guarantees have an equal purchasing interest compared to new systems, highlighting the opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to develop certification standards for second-hand robots to move towards a circular economy. Consumer demographics also demonstrated that those most open to the purchase of both new and second-hand systems were women, those aged 18–25 years old, and those who have previously owned a robot for the home. Participants’ prior ownership of second-hand electronic devices (such as phones and laptops) did not affect rates of interest for second-hand robotic systems suggesting that the technology is still too new for people to be able to project their experience of current second-hand electronics to that of a robot. Additionally, this research found the robotics industry can consider the potential market for second-hand robots to be more similar to the second-hand smartphone market than to the household electronics market, and lessons learnt from the concerns raised by consumers for other internet-enabled electronic devices are similar to those concerns for second-hand robots. This provides an opportunity for the industry to break down the barriers for a circular economy earlier in the technology maturity process than has been seen for other electronics.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1324519 |
Journal | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
Volume | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 10 Jul 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2024 McGloin, Studley, Mawle and Winfield.
Keywords
- robotics
- sustainability
- circular-economy
- second-hand
- e-waste
- repurpose
- reuse
- recycle