Guest editorial: Digital ecosystems of service robot: artifacts, behaviors, organizations and design perspectives
Jaehyun Park, Younghoon Chang, Kun-Pyo Lee, Céline Mougenot · Industrial Management & Data Systems · 2025
Following Engelhardt et al. (1992), service robots have been enhanced through a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies such as information systems, design, industrial engineering and innovation. Recently, robots have emerged as game changers, transforming traditional approaches to management, communication and collaboration, thereby impacting both individual behavior and organizational performance (Belanche et al., 2020; Wirtz et al., 2018).Over the past decade, service robots have evolved from an era of technological experimentation to one of industrial application, and we now live in a time where robots coexist with us as essential artifacts and systems integrated into our daily lives (Liu et al., 2022). With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), mechatronics and connectivity, it has become essential to discuss how humans and robots can coexist across various industries, organizations and service environments (Song and Kim, 2022; Zhong et al., 2021).From a sociotechnical perspective, as illustrated in Figure 1, robots and robotic systems can be categorized into two main types: AI-operated robots and tele-operated robots. These can be further subdivided into humanoid robots, such as Optimus, Sophia and Henn-na Hotel robots; service robots like Pepper; and functional robots, like Roomba. As the types and functions of robots continue to evolve, these innovations are being introduced across various industries – including airports, hotels and restaurants – to address diverse operational challenges, demonstrating the ongoing influence and transformative potential of robotic technology (Chen et al., 2010; Dautenhahn et al., 2005).In the logistics sector, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have enhanced the efficiency of sorting, inventory management and order processing at companies such as Amazon and JD.com, contributing to reduced labor costs and increased processing speed (Марчук et al., 2020). In the hospitality and service industries, the use of robots is expanding in various roles, such as customer service, facility management and multilingual support, with notable examples including UBTech's Cruzr, Puductor's disinfection robots and Bear Robotics' serving robots (Hlee et al., 2023). In the healthcare sector, robots play important roles in surgical assistance, elderly care and disinfection, making significant contributions to health and safety (Holland et al., 2021; Lim et al., 2025). Additionally, care robots such as PARO, Robear and Moxi help to alleviate the burden on human caregivers.Despite these technological advancements and the growth of the robotics industry, various cases of robot service failures have unfortunately been reported. We believe that the core issue underlying these failures is the challenge of achieving effective coexistence between robots and humans. Therefore, in this special issue, we propose a conceptual model for a digital ecosystem of service robots, addressing how robots and humans can coexist, as illustrated in Figure 2.This conceptual model divides robots and humans from the perspectives of the genre of service robots and the use of service robots. Specifically, it categorizes existing robot genres as “robots as artifacts” versus “robots as systems” and defines humans who use robots in terms of “individual behaviors” versus “organizational practice.” For robots and humans to coexist, the following four socio-technical design principles are defined at the intersection of humans and robots: (1) adoption of robotic products by individuals; (2) adaptation of robotic products within organizations; (3) individual practice of robotic systems and (4) organizational alignment of robotic systems.These four design principles suggest that, for effective and efficient human-robot coexistence, robots must be perceived as effective artifacts or systems in individuals' lives and as efficient substitutes for human labor in organizations, maximizing organizational productivity as active agents that must coexist with humans. Such human-robot coexistence will accelerate the development of AI technologies and AI-operated service robots, ultimately transforming the world into an ecosystem where robots and humans are systemically interoperated and form a unified ecosystem. With respect to the ecosystems (Adner, 2017; Lyytinen and Newman, 2008), service robot research and development is a blended outcome, stemming from ongoing AI and machine learning technologies, latent socio-cultural behaviors and the transformation of industries and business markets.Based on this conceptual model, this special issue particularly highlights the socio-technical phenomena of service robots, addressing artifacts, behaviors, organizations and design perspectives. Toward the development of digital ecosystems for service robot research and innovation, these four perspectives provide a practical framework for examining the interrelated issues, challenges and opportunities of service robots that impact all aspects of individual and organizational performance in our everyday digital lives. As a result, the following six intriguing papers present both theoretical and empirical insights from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives.The first article, “The influence of an additional robot apology and robot gender after a human service failure,” is by Dr Bin Ding, Dr Zixuan Guo and Dr Wei Liu. This research bridges the literature on service failure and recovery, service robot adoption and gender studies in robotics. It highlights the value of robot intervention and the importance of robot gender in service recovery. This study provides strategic guidance on how to utilize robots in service environments, particularly regarding robot apologies and gender, offering insights into the effective implementation of such systems in these settings (Ding et al., 2025).The second article, “Why people trust AI software robots: a mediated moderation perspective on the interaction between their intelligence and appearance,” is by Dr Taejin Kim, Dr One-Ki Daniel Lee and Dr Juyoung Kang. This research examines how the interaction between learning performance (as behavioral realism) and realistic appearance (as form realism) of AI-powered software robots influences user trust. This study provides valuable implications for creating optimal learning performance and a realistic appearance, which can foster trust in various settings where AI-powered software robots are utilized (Kim et al., 2025).The third article, “Dining with robots: exploring customer willingness to adopt service robots in restaurants,” is by Dr Himanshu, Dr Anushka Goel, Dr Sanjay Dhingra and Dr Udita Taneja. This study examines both the positive and negative factors that influence customers' willingness to accept service robots in restaurants. The findings offer valuable insights for service providers, technology developers, trainers, manufacturers, marketers, restaurant owners and policymakers to develop more effective strategies for leveraging robots in restaurant settings (Himanshu et al., 2025).The fourth article, “Integrated HRI and lean digital healthcare approach for facial paralysis rehabilitation via exoskeletons and smartphone applications,” is by Mingxuan Wang, Luyi Xin, Zhaopeng Zhu, Dr Tong Wu, Hao Chen and Dr Ting Han. This study introduces a new method for facial paralysis rehabilitation that combines human-robot interaction (HRI) with digital healthcare. It uses a wearable exoskeleton and a smartphone app for AR-assisted muscle training and assessment (Wang et al., 2025).The fifth article, “Evolution and future agenda of service robot research: a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis approach,” is by Sanqi Yang, Dr Kwangsoo Park and Dr Minwoo Lee. This study uses Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDA) to review 175 articles published between 2019 and 2023 in Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) and Business Management (BM) journals. By combining industry-specific and broader business insights, the study examines how service robots are used and how theories about them have developed. This review maps out the primary knowledge areas in HTM and BM journals related to hospitality and tourism, making important contributions to the field (Yang et al., 2025b).The sixth article, “Pathways linking mobile service robots and quality of life of people with dementia: a literature review,” is by Dr Aria Yang, Dr Eun Yeong Choe and Fan Zhang. This research investigates the impact of mobile service robots on enhancing the quality of life for individuals with dementia residing in long-term care homes through a comprehensive literature review. It also suggests that future robot development should adopt a socio-technical systems perspective, incorporate participatory design processes and recognize the value of human care (Yang et al., 2025a).Although researchers have made efforts, the main challenge remains the creation of digital ecosystems for service robots – specifically, addressing how service robots as IT artifacts can integrate issues of humanity, environment, systems and services (Kohli and Melville, 2019; Yoo, 2010). We believe that identifying the socio-technical values by understanding human behaviors will reshape established service robot businesses and service platforms, leading to new paradigms in design and innovation (Bostrom and Heinen, 1977; McLeod and Doolin, 2012; Steen, 2011). Therefore, the industrial management and data systems communities should pursue flexible, cross-disciplinary research and development to prepare for future service robot solutions within our digital societies.