Hybridity as Design Strategy for Service Robots to Become Domestic Products

Service robots have yet to occupy niches in domestic environments beyond vacuuming and lawn mowing. This can only happen by providing an alternative experience rather than mimicking and competing with humans, pets and already available appliances. We argue that the robot's hybrid nature on a spectrum between 'thing' and 'being' is a suitable framework to create such a unique experience. More specifically, we argue that hybridity creates ambiguity which affords a wider range of practices to occur, from tool use to social interaction. We evaluate this idea in an online study with 61 participants who rated three robots with rather biomorphic (Pepper), hybrid (Sympartner) or device-like (Relay) appearance. Results show that the hybrid design affords a broader spectrum of use compared to designs inscribing to treat the robot as either possession or social companion. The study offers initial insights on ambiguity-through-hybridity as design strategy to help robots become domestic products.