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This article reports on the development of capabilities for (on-screen) virtual agents and robots to support isolated older adults in their homes. A real-time architecture was developed to use a virtual agent or a robot interchangeably to interact via dialog and gesture with a human user. Users could interact with either agent on 12 different activities, some of which included on-screen games, and forms to complete. The article reports on a pre-study that guided the choice of interaction activities. A month-long study with 44 adults between the ages of 55 and 91 assessed differences in the use of the robot and virtual agent.

Abstract. Older adults with strong social connections are at a reduced risk for health problems and mortality. We describe two field studies to inform the development of a virtual agent designed to provide long-term, continuous social support to isolated older adults. Findings include the topics that older adults would like to discuss with a companion agent, in addition to overall reactions to interacting with a remote-controlled companion agent installed in their home for a week. Results indicate a generally positive attitude towards companion agents and a rich research agenda for virtual companion agents.Keywords: relational agents, social interfaces, social dialogue, wizard-of-oz study IntroductionStudies have demonstrated that a lack of social support can have negative effects on the health and well-being of older adults [1], and older adults who face extreme isolation face significantly higher risks of mortality than their connected peers [2]. A recent meta-analysis estimates that 7-17% of older adults face social isolation and 40% experience loneliness [3] (social isolation refers to minimal contact with others, whereas loneliness refers to the subjective, usually negative, reactions to a person's social experiences [4]).To address these problems, we are developing a virtual agent that can provide social support and wellness coaching to isolated older adults, in their homes, for months or years. This companion agent will be always on, always available, to provide a range of support interactions including: companionship dialogue, game co-play, exercise and wellness promotion, social activity tracking and promotion, facilitating connections with family and friends, and memory improvement tasks, among others.To inform the design of this agent's dialogue capabilities, we conducted two field studies to determine what older adults would want to talk about with an in-home companion agent.

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