Kitchen robots: The importance and impact of technology on people’s quality of life

Abstract

The interest in technology allied to household chores has been growing exponentially. Robots like Bimby have revolutionized the way of cooking, since they perform several functions, which were once done manually. How do users of kitchen robots see this continuous evolution and what is the impact on their routines? What are the main advantages associated with this technology and how do non-users see them? This study is a focus on the variables gender, quality of life and technological evolution, as a way to determine if women and men use kitchen robots on an equal scale, if the potentialities of these machines contribute to real improvements in the lives of their users and if, in a near future, this technology will replace the human element in the preparation of meals. To answer these questions, two methodological approaches were followed: quantitative (via questionnaires) and qualitative (via interviews and a focus group). The first approach allowed us to conclude on the profile of kitchen robots and their impact on people’s quality of life. The second approach led us to understand the interest of suppliers, and whether the interest is to help human beings or to replace their role altogether in the kitchen. With this study we conclude that kitchen robots have effectively brought improvements in terms of time spent with household tasks, the typical user of this technology is indeed a woman and, finally, that it will be difficult for a robot to replace humans entirely, since anyone who really likes to cook will never stop doing it.