The increasingly more visible trend of population ageing necessitates creating technologies supporting the functioning of older adults. Consequently, more gerontechnologies emerge designed to help the older adults in their daily functioning, from devices monitoring the health to special trolleys improving the mobility or Virtual Reality devices for active learning. This article aimed to determine the most desired group of gerontechnologies among current and future users. It focused on individual assessments of the most desirable group of gerontechnologies based on various criteria. The investigation aimed to find the criterion rated the highest in the selected group of gerontechnologies. The gerontechnology group was assessed against seven groups of criteria distinguished by the authors, i.e., Technology Innovation, Technology Demand, Social and Ethical Criteria, Technology Usability, Technology Functionality, Technology Ease of Use and Technology Use Risk. The survey was conducted in the form of a questionnaire, using CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) and CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview) methods, with the research sample comprised of 1 152 residents of Poland. Thus far, no studies have been conducted to evaluate this group of technologies based on the above-mentioned criteria.
Purpose: According to the UN population forecast by the year 2030 people aged 65 years and over will have made up 11.67% of the world's total population and 22.97% of the European population. So, in less than 10 years, almost every fourth Pole will be over 65 years old. It, therefore, seems necessary to examine how health, life and consumption needs of older people can be met and which technologies can improve the quality of life of older people. The main aim of the article is to identify, evaluate and build a ranking of gerontechnologiestechnologies improving the quality of life of older people. The article also examines the influence of gender, age, education, and place of residence on the evaluation of gerontechnology groups. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out with critical literature analysis, logical construct method as well as statistical research. A survey was conducted with the use of CATI and CAWI in the period December 2019 to January 2020 on a representative group of poles aged over 40 years old. Findings: The research assessed and ranked nine main groups of technologies improving the quality of life of older people. The impact of gender, age, education, and place of residence on the assessment of these technologies was also examined. Practical Implications: Identification of the highest-rated technology improving the quality of life of older people. Originality/Value: To gain new knowledge in identifying the needs and expectations of future and current users of technologies that improve the quality of life of older people.
Smart living is an essential dimension of an ageing society because one of its measures includes living conditions (health, safety, housing). Many technological solutions are designed to satisfy the needs of older people living in cities. Humanoid robots are one of the technologies that can significantly improve the quality of life in older adults. The Rudy Robot is an example of a robot adapted to the needs of older people. The conducted research aimed to gain knowledge about the potential future use of the humanoid Rudy Robot by older adults in the context of smart living. The study mainly aimed to identify the robot’s most important functionalities that could improve older adults’ quality of life based on a literature review. In addition, the Rudy Robot was rated according to the most important criteria for evaluating the robot. The paper also examined whether age, sex, education and place of residence affect the assessment of the Rudy Robot technology. It should be noted that this technology is not available in Poland but has become known due to television, the Internet, etc. Respondents received a description of this technology, examples of use, and links to literature and films together with the questionnaire; thus, they knew what the Rudy Robot was and its characteristics, possibilities and potential.
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