Robotic applications in meal preparation assistance for older adults

Abstract

Claims that recent rapid advances in robotic‐related technology offer the potential for new strategies that can help older adults extend or enhance their self‐help capabilities and, therefore, their independence. Such strategic applications can also help the caregivers of older adults by reducing the time consumed by providing care. In order to identify those robotic applications that are appropriate and effective in the caregiving process, it is important to perform functional task analysis that involves caregivers, care recipients, and technologists in an interactive collaborative assessment of both the tasks of caregiving and the capacity of technology. Focuses on the potential to employ robotic assistance in meal preparation, and describes an approach for identifying robotic applications that might assist older adults.