Robot Therapy: A New Approach for Mental Healthcare of the Elderly – A Mini-Review

Abstract

Mental healthcare of elderly people is a common problem in advanced countries. Recently, high technology has developed robots for use not only in factories but also for our living environment. In particular, human-interactive robots for psychological enrichment, which provide services by interacting with humans while stimulating their minds, are rapidly spreading. Such robots not only simply entertain but also render assistance, guide, provide therapy, educate, enable communication, and so on. Robot therapy, which uses robots as a substitution for animals in animal-assisted therapy and activity, is a new application of robots and is attracting the attention of many researchers and psychologists. The seal robot named Paro was developed especially for robot therapy and was used at hospitals and facilities for elderly people in several countries. Recent research has revealed that robot therapy has the same effects on people as animal therapy. In addition, it is being recognized as a new method of mental healthcare for elderly people. In this mini review, we introduce the merits and demerits of animal therapy. Then we explain the human-interactive robot for psychological enrichment, the required functions for therapeutic robots, and the seal robot. Finally, we provide examples of robot therapy for elderly people, including dementia patients.

An Exploration of the Benefits of an Animallike Robot Companion with More Advanced Touch Interaction Capabilities for Dementia Care

“…Social robots such as animallike robot companions are increasingly being used in health care (e.g., Wada and Shibata, 2007;Shibata and Wada, 2010;Bemelmans et al, 2012Bemelmans et al, , 2013Kachouie et al, 2014). Research shows that interaction with animallike robots can have positive effects similar to those from interaction with real animals (e.g., Eachus, 2001;Wada and Shibata, 2007;Banks et al, 2008;Bernabei et al, 2013;Robinson et al, 2015;Sefidgar et al, 2016).…”

“…Research shows that interaction with animallike robots can have positive effects similar to those from interaction with real animals (e.g., Eachus, 2001;Wada and Shibata, 2007;Banks et al, 2008;Bernabei et al, 2013;Robinson et al, 2015;Sefidgar et al, 2016). Moreover, robots have advantages compared to real animals: their behavior can be better controlled; they do not carry diseases; and they need less care (Eachus, 2001;Filan and Llewellyn-Jones, 2006;Shibata and Wada, 2010). These advantages are especially important when working with a vulnerable population such as the elderly.…”

“…Furthermore, recent studies point to the benefits of touch interaction in robot therapy (Robinson et al, 2015;Sefidgar et al, 2016). However, currently commercially available animallike companion robots such as robot seal Paro (Shibata and Wada, 2010) and Sony's robotic dog AIBO (Fujita, 2001) do not focus specifically on touch interaction, which seems like a missed opportunity.…”

A Discussion of the Use of Virtual Reality in Dementia

“…One such example is the use of a seal robot named Paro which was designed for use with the elderly [29]. As an accompaniment and social stimulator to individuals with dementia living in long-term care facilities, its integrated sensors allow it to interact in various ways when it is touched.…”

Effects of Communication Robot on Distress Reduction in Mammography

“…Recently, some investigations suggested that a pet robot provided the human with a good effect, e.g., reduction of stress hormones [22] [23], improvement of brain functioning [24], and positive psychological effects in social relationships [25] [26]. A communication robot is further expected to engender mental effects, such as pleasure and relaxation [27].…”