Anthropomorphic last-mile robots and consumer intention: An empirical test under a theoretical framework

Despite booming online retail in cities, there is almost no research on the complex relationship between anthropomorphic delivery robot targets and consumer behavior. This study employs an in-depth investigation into the relationship between last-mile anthropomorphic delivery robots and consumer usage intentions by integrating current literature and applying the theories of service quality hierarchy and task-technology fit. The study gathered data from 663 Chinese customers and employed structural equation modeling to analyze the findings. The study results suggest that the anthropomorphic qualities of delivery robots, such as their intelligence, autonomy, ability to learn, and social behavior, positively influence consumers’ willingness to use these robots for delivery tasks. In addition, the quality of human-robot interaction and task-technology fit are critical to increasing consumer willingness to use these systems. This study enriches the discussion of consumer-robot dynamics in urban retail and provides strategic guidance for optimizing smart delivery solutions in the logistics and robotics industries.