Assessment of Perceived Attractiveness, Usability, and Societal Impact of a Multimodal Robotic Assistant for Aging Patients With Memory Impairments

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to present the results of the assessment of clinical application of the robotic assistant for patients suffering from mild cognitive impairments (MCI) and Alzheimer Disease (AD). The human-robot interaction (HRI) evaluation approach taken within the study is a novelty in the field of social robotics. The proposed assessment of the robotic functionalities are based on end-user perception of attractiveness, usability and potential societal impact of the device. The methods of evaluation applied consist of User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), AttrakDiff and the societal impact inventory tailored for the project purposes. The prototype version of the Robotic Assistant for MCI patients at Home (RAMCIP) was tested in a semi-controlled environment at the Department of Neurology (Lublin, Poland). Eighteen elderly participants, 10 healthy and 8 MCI, performed everyday tasks and functions facilitated by RAMCIP. The tasks consisted of semi-structuralized scenarios like: medication intake, hazardous events prevention, and social interaction. No differences between the groups of subjects were observed in terms of perceived attractiveness, usability nor-societal impact of the device. The robotic assistant societal impact and attractiveness were highly assessed. The usability of the device was reported as neutral due to the short time of interaction.

Social Telepresence Robots: A Narrative Review of Experiments Involving Older Adults before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In the selected publications, robots were used in hospitals, laboratories, care homes for the elderly, and private homes. A total of 16 studies were carried out in Europe [ 26 , 35 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 53 , 54 , 55 ], 4 in America (USA) [ 19 , 34 , 49 , 51 ], 1 in Asia (Japan) [ 44 ], and 3 in Oceania (New Zealand and Australia) [ 37 , 47 , 52 ]. Experimental times ranged from 1 day to 18 months.…”

“…The study design involved either cross-sectional studies including a small number of subjects who evaluated robots after a single session [ 19 , 35 , 36 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 49 ], after several sessions [ 38 , 44 , 50 , 51 , 53 , 54 ], or through the use of a longitudinal follow-up [ 19 , 34 , 38 , 43 , 48 ], as well as randomized studies [ 34 , 37 ]. The data collected was qualitative (focus groups, interviews), quantitative (completion of scales, recording of physiological phenomena), or mixed.…”

“…It facilitated communication with their families [ 42 ] and was considered more interactive and attractive than traditional telephone calls [ 19 , 36 , 42 , 45 , 47 ]. It reduced feelings of loneliness by reducing perceived distance with their families [ 19 , 45 ], increased feelings of security [ 26 , 36 , 41 ], and improved their day-to-day mood and quality of life [ 41 ].…”

The promise of technology in the future of dementia care

“…The eight research partners from six countries used a collaborative design process to identify the requirements for a robot intended to assist older people with MCI to stay in their own homes. This process incorporated focus groups and surveys of medical staff (n = 100), caregivers (n = 81) and potential end users (n = 83) 14 Voice-activated service robots have been developed that can undertake single tasks, such as physical guidance and assistance, and lifting individuals 18 . Furthermore, robotic wheelchairs that can move an individual while avoiding obstacles have been developed in Japan 19 .…”

A Survey of Behavioral Models for Social Robots

“…Consequently, in the near future, robots will concretely share environments with human beings to actively collaborate with them in specific daily tasks. The presence of a robot, in fact, could be a useful support during the management of daily activities [6,7], the promotion of social inclusion [8,9], and the suggestion of healthy activities [10,11]. Particularly, recent literature findings underline that robots could help users in their daily life by bringing them objects that they need ( i.e., a bottle of water, a specific drug ) [12], which helps them in dressing tasks [13,14] or in getting in contact with their families or authorities in dangerous situations [9].…”