Embedding responsible innovation into R&D practices: A case study of socially assistive robot development

Abstract

The Responsible Innovation (RI) approach aims to transform research and development (R&D) into being more anticipatory, inclusive, reflective, and responsive. This study highlights the challenges of embedding RI in R&D practices. We fostered collective learning on RI in a socially assistive robot development project through applying participatory action research (PAR). In the PAR, we employed a mixed-methods approach, combining interviews, workshops, and online questionnaires, to collectively explore opportunities for RI, and elicit team member perceptions, opinions, and beliefs about RI. Our PAR led to some modest yet purposeful, deliberate efforts to address particular concerns regarding, for instance, privacy, control, and energy consumption. However, we also found that the embedding of RI in R&D practices can be hampered by four partly interrelated barriers: lack of an action perspective, the noncommittal nature of RI, the misconception that co-design equals RI, and limited integration between different R&D task groups. In this paper, we discuss the implications of these barriers for R&D teams and funding bodies, and we recommend PAR as a solution to address these barriers.