2019, Zhong, Jia, Schmiedel, Theresa, Dornberger, Rolf, Salichs, Miguel A., Ge, Shuzhi Sam, Ivanova Barakova, Emilia, Cabibihan, John-John, Wagner, Alan R., Castro-González, Álvaro, He, Hongsheng

Slow responses of social robots cause user frustration in human robot communication. This paper investigates how far the gaze behavior of a robot, meaning the way the robot looks at its conversation partner, influences the perceived delay of a robot’s response in human-robot conversations. To enhance a natural conversation pattern, a gaze behavior was designed and implemented into a humanoid robot. A within-subject experiment involving 31 test subjects was designed with two conditions (with and without gaze behavior). The results generally show a positive correlation between the gaze behavior that the robot exhibits and the perceived responsiveness of the robot (in the condition with gaze behavior). However, the perceived responsiveness is the same in both conditions. One reason for this finding may be that the response time of the robot might have been generally too short to identify an effect in the experi mental setting. Future research can directly build on our research to assess the relation between gaze behavior and perceived responsiveness in further detail and draw upon the finding that gaze behavior generally plays an important role with regard to the perceived responsiveness of a robot. Robot designers can also build on our research and consider both gaze behavior and additional factors to address a perceived delay in a robot’s response.

2019, Armingeon, Moritz, Komani, Pleurat, Zanwar, Trupti, Korkut, Safak, Dornberger, Rolf, tom Dieck, M. Claudia, Jung, Timothy

This paper aims to study and compare the augmented reality experience of two user groups at Augusta Raurica, a Roman archaeological site and an open-air museum in Switzerland. The user groups differentiated within the scope of this study digital natives and digital immigrants. The paper applies the experience economy framework for assessing the differences between the user groups. The data gathered from the surveys and analysis of selected interviews reveal that digital immigrants have better engagement with the augmented reality application of Augusta Raurica than digital natives do. The findings are supporting the debate on assisting tourism destinations to develop more engaging augmented reality content targeting both user groups.

2018, Peter, Marc K., Dalla Vecchia, Martina, Dornberger, Rolf

2018, Schwaferts, Dino, Baldi, Shama, Dornberger, Rolf

In a study on the subject of digital transformation carried out by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland from April to May 2017, 82% of the companies stated that their driver for digital transformation was their wish to support their business processes. However, the majority of companies also stated that, in addition to the desired process support, they observed a greater impact on individual elements of the business model. The aim of this chapter is to explain these observations and their correlations, as well as to provide an approach regarding how digital transformation could be managed systematically against the background of its impact on the business model. Thereby, the terms “Digital Business Development” and “Business Stream Matrix” are used. Building on this approach of digital transformation management, the question is raised as to whether classical management concepts are still adequate to guide companies during and after digital transformation. Where there are management gaps, this chapter substantiates approaches to close these gaps. The term “digital leadership” is used. This chapter concludes with an approach to the “sociotechnical framework”, outlining and substantiating a possible form of organization to which digital transformation tends.

2019, Frey, Gabriel, Jurkschat, Arno, Korkut, Safak, Lutz, Jonas, Dornberger, Rolf, Jung, Timothy, tom Dieck, M. Claudia

The development of virtual reality provides opportunities for immersive information visualizations and therefore it is expected to facilitate the exploration and understanding of data. Hand gesture control enables intuitive interaction and thus it is suggested to amplify the level of immersion further. This paper conducts and experiment to identify a set of intuitive gestures when interacting with an information visualization. Participants are asked to provide hand gestures to given information seeking tasks in an interactive data visualization application in virtual reality that they did not know in advance. The results are analysed and findings with intuitive gestures are communicated and discussed.

2019, Lehner, Joël Enrico, Dornberger, Rolf, Simic, Radovan, Hanne, Thomas

This paper analyzes the multirobot sumo fight simulation. This simulation is based on a computational model of several sumo fighters, which physically interact while trying to move the opponent out of the arena (lost fight). The problem is optimized using a genetic algorithm (GA), where the capabilities of not only one particular robot but of all robots simultaneously are improved. In this particular problem setup, the problem definition changes depending on the optimization path, because all robots also get better, competing against each other. The influence of different operators of the GA is investigated and compared. This paper raises the questions, which genetically controlled capabilities (e.g. size, speed) are dominant over time and how they can be identified by a sensitivity analysis using a GA. The results shed light on which parameters are dominant. This experiment typically opens up interesting fields of further research, especially about how to address optimization problems, where the optimization process influences the search space and how to eliminate the factor of randomness.

2018, Tanner, Christian, Richter, Sarah-Louise, Dornberger, Rolf

Digitalizing an existing business process often proves to be more complicated than expected. This article provides insights into obstacles and success factors when digitalizing a business process, using the example of the transition from a paper-based process of handling invoices to electronic invoicing. Since e-invoicing has gained significant momentum in recent years from a business perspective as well as from governments all over the world, it provides an interesting area in which to investigate digitalization. Drawing from input collected in more than 10 years of research on the topic of e-invoicing, the authors illustrate why digitalization is still not easily achieved, despite the obvious advantages, and elaborate on the key prerequisites for success. The results emphasize the importance of understanding the needs of one’s business partners and working closely with them when developing solutions. Furthermore, systematic project management and change management are important. However, as much as there is no “one size fits all” solution, there is also none that will last forever. Rather, as the business environment changes and technology matures, there will be a need to re-assess processes and solutions from time to time. Most importantly, the human factor of change cannot be underestimated. Besides standard change management practices, companies should seize the opportunity to develop their employees through the digitalization effort by engaging them in projects and decision-making processes. Acquiring project management skills, expert knowledge and experience in innovating business processes will serve as an invaluable asset in the long term.

2019, Ehrenthal, Joachim, Gruen, Thomas W., Hofstetter, Joerg S., Dornberger, Rolf

While Service-Dominant logic (SDL) has been the basis for research publications in many journals, anecdotal evidence suggests that there is growing resistance to using SDL because some reviewers consider it to be unviable for rigorous research. As a remedy, researchers, editors, and reviewers are in need for clear criteria on what makes good quality SDL research. Our study aims to address this problem, and it examines how SDL has been successfully and unsuccessfully used in research—including methods, processes, and approaches to apply & integrate SDL in research studies—in order to determine a set of quality criteria for researchers and practitioners to better use and benefit from SDL.

2018, Martin, Andreas, Hinkelmann, Knut, Dornberger, Rolf

The following chapter describes an integrated case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to process learning and experience management. This integrated CBR approach reflects domain knowledge and contextual information based on an enterprise ontology. The approach consists of a case repository, which contains experience items described using a specific case model. The case model reflects, on the one hand, the process logic, i.e. the flow of work, and on the other the business logic, which is the knowledge that can be used to achieve a result.

2018, Zhong, Jia, Dornberger, Rolf, Hanne, Thomas

This paper investigates the functionality and quality of the implementation of a search and target surrounding swarm robotic algorithm using physical swarm robots named Kilobots. The implementation was developed and tested in the simulator V-REP, then transferred onto the actually running Kilobots: Ten Kilobots were used for the experiment, where one Kilobot acts as the target and nine Kilobots act as the searchers. The algorithm allows the searchers to swarm out to find the target while avoiding collisions with other searchers, to orbit around other searchers, which are closer to the target, and finally to surround the target once it is found. The results of the implementation using the physical Kilobots are compared with the results of two adjusted computer simulations. Differences between the simulations and the real robot implementation are investigated: Discrepancies regarding the locomotion and the communication capabilities are identified and discussed.