Robotic Services Acceptance in Smart Environments With Older Adults: User Satisfaction and Acceptability Study

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Gerontology

Background:

• Europe faces a rapidly aging population, increasing the need for solutions enabling older adults to age in place.
• Living alone poses safety risks for older individuals, driving demand for assistive technologies.
• High abandonment rates of assistive technologies highlight the critical need for user acceptance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the acceptance of the Robot-Era system among older adults.
• To evaluate the potential of robotic services to support independent living for the elderly.

Main Methods:

• Six robotic services were tested with older users in diverse environments (home, condominium, outdoor).
• User impressions of robot appearance were assessed using a dedicated questionnaire.
• Acceptance of robotic services was evaluated using an ad hoc questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Older users reported positive initial impressions of the Robot-Era robots' appearance across all tested models (DORO, CORO, ORO).
• Overall acceptance scores for Robot-Era services exceeded 80 out of 100 points.
• Factors such as gender, age group (<75 vs. older), and educational level influenced user perceptions and acceptance of specific robotic services.

Conclusions:

• The Robot-Era system demonstrates potential as a socially acceptable assistive technology.
• User feedback indicates the system can facilitate independent living for older adults.
• Further development of Robot-Era could enhance the believability and adoption of robotic services for the elderly.