機器人應用於圖書館服務之可行性初探

Exploring the Feasibility of Applying Robots to Library Services

本文的目的在於探討機器人在圖書館中加值應用與服務的可行性，期盼藉由機器人同時具有電腦、通訊、機械、人工智慧、影像處理及辨識、語音辨識及合成、沒有情緒、不會勞累、忠實執行任務等功能及特性，以突破現有圖書館在時間、場域、深度之限制，增進圖書館之教育功能，降低圖書館員負擔，提供讀者更加值、多元、具深度、自動化、不受時間場域限制的未來圖書館。並將具體以圖書館諮詢服務臺為例，建置一個圖書館無人化諮詢櫃臺的諮詢機器人雛型系統，初探機器人於未來圖書館之加值應用與服務之可行性。

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the feasibility of applying humanoid robots to the library services because they have the advantages including computation, communication, hi-tech mechanism, artificial intelligence, and the ability of object and sound recognition. Moreover, comparing to human workers, when executing missions or jobs, robots are not emotional and can work for longer hours without showing physical tiredness. Most importantly, they can be very focused on completing a task assigned to them. These benefits seem to solve the problems encountered in a library in Taiwan where a large space needs so much of human resources but ironically does not have enough working staff to do everyday library chores and deal with a huge crowd at peak hours. Therefore, the paper provides some solutions that may reduce the burden of librarians and increase more automatic services to break through the present limitations. Taking an example of the information desk in a local national-fund library in Taiwan, the paper illustrates how to realize an unattended counseling counter via a robotic design.