Welcome to aibo’s Hometown! Framing Social Robots as Cultural Resources for the Local Economy

This paper explores the case study of Kota, Japan, as "aibo’s furusato" – or hometown – through ethnographic observation and interviews to investigate how diverse stake-holders, including local government, industry partners, and robot owners, collaboratively construct the town’s identity as a tourist destination centered around the social robot aibo. Our findings reveal how new robotic technologies are incorporated into existing frameworks of local economic production while also creating new opportunities for social interaction, as well as cultural and economic production that connect robotics to traditional products and practices. This work more broadly supports an understanding of robot design that goes beyond the artifacts itself to encompass a broader socio-technical infrastructure that supports robots’ meaningful use.