In this paper we investigate the possibility of socially assistive robots (SARs) supporting diagnostic screening for peripartum depression (PPD) within the next five years. Through a HRI/socio-legal collaboration, we explore the gender norms within PPD in Sweden, to inform a gender-sensitive approach to designing SARs in such a setting, as well as governance implications. This is achieved through conducting expert interviews and qualitatively analysing the data. Based on the results, we conclude that a gender-sensitive approach is a necessity in relation to the design and governance of SARs for PPD screening.

By relying on theory from sociology of law and data feminism, this study showcases the norms guiding development in human-robot interaction. This qualitative study consists of an ethnography of the HRI conference 2021 and expert interviews which were merged and analysed using an ethnographic content analysis method on NVivo. The socio-legal data feminist lens enables to pinpoint the lack of clear legal involvement, the reliance on the HRI community to develop, and the normative impact this has on the overall development of social robots. This study not only aims to showcase the vital role of HRI developers, but also the need for more critical scholars in this area.