Engaging Older Adults with Depression as Co-Designers of Assistive In-Home Robots

Abstract

We used participatory design methodology to engage independently living older adults with depression and co-occurring physical illness in the design of assistive robots for their homes. Our aim was to work toward a design that can extend the amount of time they can live independently and increase their quality of life. Clinicians were also invited to contribute their ideas, as they are important advocates for using assistive technology in a clinical capacity. In this paper, we outline our strategies for engaging older adults as co-designers, noting what succeeded and what failed in our participatory design approach. We also discuss the viability of replication studies in participatory design and the need to engage other stakeholders besides older adults, such as clinicians, to provide practical robot applications.