Effective Human–Robot Collaboration: Case Study of a Thai Hospital

This study explores the state of human-robot collaboration (HRC) in a Thai hospital at multiple levels, using qualitative research methods. The case study was undertaken at the only hospital in Thailand to have deployed three robots to deliver patient documents between units. The objectives of this study were to investigate stakeholders’ opinions on using service robots in the hospital, explore organizational context related to robot deployment, and identify the success factors of robot deployment in the hospital. The participants in this study were a hospital executive, human resources staff, nurses, IT officer, and hospital clients. Findings revealed that the hospital stakeholders accepted the robots; the main advantages were that they were attractive and reduced the work burden on the staff; however, their lack of human sense was the main disadvantage. The organizational context in both human and system issues is significant. The key success factors of HRC were found in human, robot, and organizational dimensions. In terms of human dimension, user acceptance and user ability were the key success factors. Robot capability and robot company were very crucial in the robot dimension, while leadership, competent IT officer, and well-planned robot deployment were success factors in the organizational dimension.