Colleagues, not competitors: Development of a value-based design toolbox for responsible cleaning robotisation

The professional cleaning industry is an essential facilitator for our modern society. The industry keeps our offices and public spaces clean, healthy, and accessible. It is however also facing great challenges, including an aging workforce, high workload, and a low level of appreciation by the public. These challenges place pressure on the bodies and minds of cleaning workers.

Robotisation has been raised as a potential solution to tackle these issues, but such innovations bring challenges and questions of their own. Cleaning robots will need to be developed in a responsible way, to address the challenges of current professional cleaning work. The design of future robots must address the impact on the sociotechnical values and core wellbeing needs of human cleaners as they collaborate with robots to fulfil their tasks.

The research in this thesis addresses the impact of robotisation on professional cleaning work, based on the theoretical frameworks of value-based design and self-determination theory. The topic of robotisation is investigated from three perspectives: theory and previous studies are reviewed on professional cleaning work and the impact of labour robotisation on workers; a workshop is conducted to explore the practical experiences and concerns of industry stakeholders; and the organisational transitions and barriers are modelled for robotisation within the industry, based on enterprise architecture. To make the insights actionable for designers, the results from these perspectives are incorporated into a toolbox of methods and materials for value-based and participatory design of future cleaning robots, which is evaluated with designers and cleaning workers.

The results of this research can be applied within the professional cleaning industry to support the value-centred and participatory design of future cleaning robots. The tools developed can moreover be adapted for application in other occupations, to ensure a positive impact for future innovations. The value-based approach as well as self-determination theory that were applied in this research were found to be effective means for exploring the inherent challenges and experiences of workers and other stakeholders within professional cleaning. Using the created tools, robots can be designed that will act as good and supportive colleagues to human cleaners.