Towards a Holistic Approach to Studying Human–Robot Interaction in Later Life

Abstract

Additional studies are needed to more fully understand what makes HRI successful. The model presented here suggests scholars to conduct theory-driven research, and distinguish among various segments of older users, different types of robots, and group and individual HRI. It also proposes paying greater attention to the users' cultural, physical and social environment, and application of longitudinal and simultaneous examination of uses, outcomes, and constraints.

Global policies on assistive robots for care of the elderly: A scoping review

“…All five of the studies used questionnaires, three used solely questionnaires, [5,6,10] one used focus groups and question-naires, [11] and one used individual user tests and questionnaires. [4] Out of the 23 publications included in this review, there were five secondary studies of differing types, including two literature reviews, [12,13] one integrative review, [14] one rapid evidence review, [15] and one systematic review. [16] The ten primary and secondary studies outlined in Appendix 1 were conducted in many different countries, indicating an interest in robots for care of the elderly that spans a large part of the globe.…”

“…Other sources recognized that more robust privacy and data laws would need to be put in place. [12,13,15,17,18,[20][21][22][23]28] 3.3.4 Cost and equitability A third theme that emerged as a potential barrier to policymakers was the notion of cost and equitability, including financial concern for both researchers and consumers, along with issues of equitable distribution to the public. Six sources in the review discussed cost or potential for inequitable outcomes.…”

“…A further three sources simply cited cost as a potential constraint or barrier to further implementation of robots in healthcare settings. [13,15,20]…”

“…While over half of the sources used in this scoping review noted the importance of perceptions and attitudes of robots in healthcare, the majority found that both public and healthcare professionals had positive and negative reactions to the use of assistive robots in care of the elderly. Both Bedaf et al [4] and Zafrani and Nimrod [13] discuss that direct experience with robots appears to lessen ambivalence and promote acceptance among users and healthcare staff. This may link to the importance of public discussion as noted by the USA [19] and the EU [20,23] to increase transparency with policy, laws, and decisions for safety regarding assistive robots for the elderly.…”

Assistive robots in the homes of aging adults

“…Despite promising findings such as those of Chen et al, the SAR literature has several significant methodological limitations (see Broekens et al, 2009;Zafrani and Nimrod, 2019). These include a lack of theoretical frameworks, lack of control groups, lack of replication, primarily cross-sectional designs, and small, unrepresentative samples.…”