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From care practices to speculative vignettes-design considerations for robots in good care
Ralf Vetter1, Anna Dobrosovestnova2, Helena Anna Frijns3
1Human-Computer Interaction Division, Department for Artificial Intelligence and Human Interfaces, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Frontiers in Robotics and AI
|August 26, 2024
Summary
Robotic technologies in elder care show limited success due to design challenges. Understanding care contexts and human needs is crucial before developing assistive robots.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Robotics in Healthcare
- Sociotechnical Systems Design
Background:
- The care sector faces challenges from aging populations and labor shortages, with robotic technologies proposed as a solution.
- Current robotic applications in care have seen limited success, indicating a need to address design and implementation complexities.
- Understanding the intricate contexts, diverse actor needs, and sociomaterial factors is vital for effective technology development in care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sensitivities in designing robotic technologies for the care sector by integrating value-sensitive and speculative design approaches.
- To explore situated practices and understandings of 'good care' among care workers and residents in different care settings.
- To identify potential tensions arising from technological interventions in existing care practices and relationships.
Main Methods:
- Conducted qualitative study involving interviews (n=6) and card workshops (n=6) with care workers and residents in Austrian mobile care and care home settings.
- Employed a combined value-sensitive and speculative design methodology.
- Developed five themes reflecting situated care practices and created six speculative vignettes to highlight design tensions.
Main Results:
- Identified five key themes in 'good care': trust-developing routines, inter-actor negotiations, affective/reciprocal dimensions, care worker self-care, and material mediations.
- Speculative vignettes effectively illustrated the inherent tensions when technology intersects with established care practices.
- The study highlights the gap between technological promises and the complex realities of care work.
Conclusions:
- The proposed approach, integrating value-sensitive and speculative design, offers a framework for robot designers to gain a deep understanding of context-specific values and tensions.
- This understanding is critical for informed design and development, moving beyond technical limitations to address sociomaterial complexities in care.
- Emphasizing situated practices and actor needs can lead to more appropriate and successful robotic interventions in the care sector.
