Understanding stakeholders’ intention to use construction robots: a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

Abstract

User acceptance is crucial for successfully adopting robotic technologies in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector. Previous studies have focused on domestic, service, and industrial robots, leaving the construction domain unexplored. In this study, we set out to empirically understand how various dimensions of technology, environment, robot, and user lead to AEC stakeholders’ intention to use construction robots. We apply the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis approach to capture the complexity of human behavior and the interdependencies across dimensions. For the data collection, we sampled 216 cases in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria evaluating three scenarios of human–robot interaction. Our analysis identifies three distinct user profiles—the lifelike robot user, the utilitarian robot user, and the lifelike-utilitarian robot user. The results show that human–robot peering may be a fundamental solution to increase user acceptance. By testing the effect of user characteristics, we also discover a lifelike-utilitarian type of robot that is more appealing to female AEC stakeholders. The study contributes to the construction robotics literature by providing tailored design and implementation strategies. It points to future research avenues such as user experience and social factors for exploring the impact of robotics and artificial intelligence in AEC.