JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The use of humanoid social robots in care for older adults requires precise knowledge of expectations in this area.

Objective:

The aim of this study was thus to analyse whether specific aspects of the robot’s perceptions influence the attitudes after interacting with it and to compare the opinions of stakeholders (older people and their professional caregivers) on this topic.

Methods:

The studied group was a conveniently available sample of 48 community-dwelling older adults (age ≥60 years), participants of day care units (which may signal the presence of self-care needs), and 53 professional caregivers. They were asked to express their views after an interaction with a humanoid social robot (TIAGo) using the Users’ Needs, Requirements and Abilities Questionnaire (UNRAQ) and the Godspeed Questionnaire Series (GQS).

Results:

The results of the UNRAQ differed significantly between caregivers and older subjects; the latter assessed the robot better in the role of companion and assistant (p<.01 for both). They were also more positive about the social aspects of using the robot (p<.01). As for the GQS, the mean scores of the Animacy, Likeability and Perceived Intelligence scales were significantly higher for older participants than for caregivers (Animacy: p<.05, Likeability: p<.001, Perceived Intelligence: p<.00001). The only parameter for which the caregivers’ scores were higher was the Artificial-Lifelike item from the Anthropomorphism scale (p<.05).

Conclusions:

Successful implementation of robots in care for older people depends on considering not only the fears, needs and requirements of various stakeholders but also traits related to perceptions of the robot. Moreover, it is essential to define potential limitations with the aim of providing appropriate education and training for older adults and their caregivers.