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Robotic Imposters with Human Helpers : An Anthropological Study of Social Robots in Staged and Unstaged Settings in Japan

Concas, Elsa ; Larsson, Stefan LU and Tanqueray, Laetitia LU (2026) IEEE RO-MAN 2026 p.1-8
Abstract
This anthropological study examines two different hospitality settings in Japan: a café and an airport that have implemented robots in their daily work. Using concepts of staged and unstaged settings, we observed robots and interviewed staff on how workplaces with a staged setting, people going to a robot café, differed from an unstaged setting, an airport, where experiencing robots were not expected by visitors. We draw on social scientific theories in our analysis, namely imaginaries and impostering, to examine how expectations shape the integration of robots into the workplace, both in staged and unstaged environments. Through a thematic analysis, the findings show considerable differences between staged and unstaged settings, including... (More)
This anthropological study examines two different hospitality settings in Japan: a café and an airport that have implemented robots in their daily work. Using concepts of staged and unstaged settings, we observed robots and interviewed staff on how workplaces with a staged setting, people going to a robot café, differed from an unstaged setting, an airport, where experiencing robots were not expected by visitors. We draw on social scientific theories in our analysis, namely imaginaries and impostering, to examine how expectations shape the integration of robots into the workplace, both in staged and unstaged environments. Through a thematic analysis, the findings show considerable differences between staged and unstaged settings, including the dismissal of robots by staff in unstaged settings and the more apparent positive perceptions and integration of robots in the workflow in staged settings. By analysing how robots potentially are integrated into existing workflows, this paper highlights the importance of anthropological methods within HRI, particularly for understanding the gap between imagined functions and everyday practices. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ethnography, Hospitality and Tourism, Staged, Unstaged, Anthropology, Critical HRI
pages
8 pages
conference name
IEEE RO-MAN 2026
conference location
Kitakyushu, Japan
conference dates
2026-08-24 - 2026-08-28
project
Research mobility Japan: AI, robotics, social structures and governance
The AI Welfare State
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4f99d5d0-16c6-45dd-ad81-a4d5cef44e8b
date added to LUP
2026-09-01 14:13:55
date last changed
2026-09-08 10:39:52
@misc{4f99d5d0-16c6-45dd-ad81-a4d5cef44e8b,
  abstract     = {{This anthropological study examines two different hospitality settings in Japan: a café and an airport that have implemented robots in their daily work. Using concepts of staged and unstaged settings, we observed robots and interviewed staff on how workplaces with a staged setting, people going to a robot café, differed from an unstaged setting, an airport, where experiencing robots were not expected by visitors. We draw on social scientific theories in our analysis, namely imaginaries and impostering, to examine how expectations shape the integration of robots into the workplace, both in staged and unstaged environments. Through a thematic analysis, the findings show considerable differences between staged and unstaged settings, including the dismissal of robots by staff in unstaged settings and the more apparent positive perceptions and integration of robots in the workflow in staged settings. By analysing how robots potentially are integrated into existing workflows, this paper highlights the importance of anthropological methods within HRI, particularly for understanding the gap between imagined functions and everyday practices.}},
  author       = {{Concas, Elsa and Larsson, Stefan and Tanqueray, Laetitia}},
  keywords     = {{Ethnography; Hospitality and Tourism; Staged; Unstaged; Anthropology; Critical HRI}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  pages        = {{1--8}},
  title        = {{Robotic Imposters with Human Helpers : An Anthropological Study of Social Robots in Staged and Unstaged Settings in Japan}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/260284487/Concas_Larsson_Tanqueray_RO_MAN_2026.pdf}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}