Measuring the Acceptance of Humanoid Robots in Adult Day Care Facilities

Socially assistive humanoid robots have emerged as promising tools for enhancing mood, engagement, and social connection in clinical and adult day care environments. This study investigated the acceptance and emotional impact of a humanoid robot deployed over an eight-week period in adult day care facilities, with the goal of reducing depressive affect and improving positive mood through activities such as trivia, karaoke, dancing, and humor.

Sixty-five residents participated in the intervention. Affective and behavioral engagement were measured using the Robot Engagement Rating Scale (RERS), supplemented by qualitative field observations. The study assessed changes in engagement, social behaviors (e.g., eye contact), and participants' desire to continue interaction with the robot.

RERS scores showed a significant increase in engagement, rising from 3.09 ± 0.27 at baseline to 4.61 ± 0.12 post-interaction, t(14) = 5.15, p < .001. Eye contact with the robot increased from 66.7% to 94.4% (p = .041), and the proportion of participants requesting to extend their interaction grew from 63.6% to 83.3%. Qualitative observations described laughter, verbal reciprocity, and sustained attention throughout the sessions, confirming positive emotional engagement. Conclusion / Discussion: Findings demonstrate that humanoid robots are highly acceptable and effective in eliciting positive emotional engagement among older adults in day care settings. These results underscore their therapeutic potential as complementary, socially enriching tools for promoting well-being and mood stabilization in long-term care and rehabilitation environments.