Towards designing telepresence robot navigation for people with disabilities

Abstract

Purpose – The authors believe that people with cognitive and motor impairments may benefit from using of telepresence robots to engage in social activities. To date, these systems have not been designed for use by people with disabilities as the robot operators. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted two formative evaluations using a participatory action design process. First, the authors conducted a focus group (n=5) to investigate how members of the target audience would want to direct a telepresence robot in a remote environment using speech. The authors then conducted a follow-on experiment in which participants (n=12) used a telepresence robot or directed a human in a scavenger hunt task. Findings – The authors collected a corpus of 312 utterances (first hand as opposed to speculative) relating to spatial navigation. Overall, the analysis of the corpus supported several speculations put forth during the focus group. Further, it showed few statistically significant differences between speech used in the human and robot agent conditions; thus, the authors believe that, for the task of directing a telepresence robot's movements in a remote environment, people will speak to the robot in a manner similar to speaking to another person. Practical implications – Based upon the two formative evaluations, the authors present four guidelines for designing speech-based interfaces for telepresence robots. Originality/value – Robot systems designed for general use do not typically consider people with disabilities. The work is a first step towards having our target population take the active role of the telepresence robot operator.

Older users’ acceptance of an assistive robot: Attitudinal changes following brief exposure

“…We did not investigate older adults living in assisted living facilities, or older adults with disabilities 54 , cognitive impairment 55 , varying levels of robot/technology experience, or cultural differences. Investigation of these variables would be valuable in the future.…”

Acceptance of televideo technology by adults aging with a mobility impairment for health and wellness interventions

“…4 Several studies have focused on developing design concepts of telepresence for older adults and those with disabilities. 5–9 Televideo technology may be particularly helpful for people who have barriers to participating in activities in person, such as those with mobility-related disabilities. Barriers faced by adults aging with mobility impairments include lack of accessibility, lack of information and resources, negative attitudes from others towards those with disabilities, lack of transportation, and psychological obstacles which include self-consciousness, lack of support, and fear of failure.…”

Toward a Framework for Embodiment in Communication Technologies: Facilitating Social Connectivity for Older Adults

“…These systems often include synchronous two-way video and two-way audio, mobile bases, and a range of sensors to help the remote user navigate in the remote environment. However, it is important to note that technologies with a higher-level of embodiment typically require more sophisticated forms of hardware (e.g., robotics) to allow for a remote "physical" presence (Bevilacqua et al, 2014;Tsui et al, 2014), which in turn makes them more expensive and less accessible to older adults. Considering the role of embodiment in the design, development, and application of communication technologies can help generate thoughtful and improved strategies towards the creation and facilitation of social connectedness among older adults residing across various living arrangements.…”

“…The embodied level achieved through the various communication technologies affects the sender's and receiver's perceptions and sense of "being there." For example, telepresence technology (e.g., video conferencing) and telepresence robots, from companies such as Zoom, Anybots, Revolve Robotics, and Suitable Technologies, have been described as "embodied video conferencing" (Tsui et al, 2014). Telepresence technology offers the sensation of being present at a remote location by simultaneously transferring audio and video in two or more locations.…”