Exploring potential of a socially assistive robot in facilitating daily activities for older adults

Abstract

Background: As the older adult population continues to rise, there is a need to support their ability to age in place.Socially assistive robots can fill these needs and improve older adults' quality of life.Objective: Our goal was to understand the perceptions of technology and opensource robots that could be implemented in the home.We wanted to understand how a socially assistive robot, namely Misty, can assist in engaging older adults in social interaction and other activities.We were interested in older adults' perceptions as well as their ideas for additional uses of this type of socially assistive robot.Methods: We used a mixed methods approach.Questionnaires assessed participant characteristics, robot and technology experience, technology proficiency and readiness, and responses to emotion words related to Misty.Following video demonstrations of Misty, we used semi-structured interviews to assess perceptions about the robot, ideas for additional uses, and recommendations for the ideal design of a socially assistive robot for use in their home.Results: The older adults generally had positive perceptions of using the Misty robot and felt that "responsive" and "friendly" were words that described it.They indicated that they would enjoy using the Misty robot and that it would be useful for activities of daily living.They had varied suggestions for design improvements that may be indicative of the need for the personalization of social robots. Conclusion:Understanding how socially assistive robots can support older adults in their homes will advance the design of these robots to support diverse needs and be adopted for everyday use.The mixed methods approach provided different insights into older adults' perceptions.In general, the participants were receptive to the idea of having socially assistive robots in their homes and had suggestions for applications.We provide design recommendations based on their input.