Enhancing Aged Care through Human-Robot Collaboration: A Case Study of Chore Robots.

Abstract

Robots are not yet mainstream in aged care, despite decades of experimentation and technological advancements. Alongside technological, regulatory, and societal considerations, part of the challenge has been limited to end-user engagement in co-designing robots for aged care. This project asked ten leaders in aged care to participate in a co-design workshop to collaboratively imagine and co-design a chore robot for aged care, followed by individual interviews to identify the tasks or activities where robotic assistance could be most beneficial, focussing on any specific workforce implications and the economic rationale needed to justify this change. Alongside documenting the co-design processes and tools deployed, this article shares the expectations and experiences of executive leaders in aged care, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities for robotic design and adoption in the unique setting that is aged care.