UX-Centred Design and Field Evaluation of an Intelligent Waste-Sorting Robot for Cultural Tourism Events
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) and human–robot interaction (HRI) are moving from controlled labs to complex public environments. Outdoor cultural tourism events (e.g., music festivals) face recurring pain points in waste management: rapid waste generation, slow manual response, and low visitor engagement with sustainability. This paper reports on the UX-centred design and field evaluation of an intelligent waste-sorting robot tailored for temporary outdoor cultural venues. The system integrates computer vision–based recognition, LiDAR navigation, robotic grasping, and real‑time information visualisation with user research, co-design, and iterative prototyping. A mixed‑methods study (surveys, interviews, observations) with organisers, regulators, and visitors informed the interaction model and service blueprint. In a festival pilot, the prototype doubled collection efficiency relative to manual practice, achieved over 90% recognition accuracy, and reduced unattended litter by 27%, while visitors reported higher sustainability awareness. Contributions include: (1) a UX‑centred HRI framework for public cultural spaces; (2) a design pattern catalogue for legible, low‑friction interactions in crowds; and (3) empirical insights into transparency, trust, and acceptance relevant to deployment and policy in smart‑tourism contexts.
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