Older adults' reactions to a robot's appearance in the context of home use

Abstract

Robots are being designed to assist older adults in their homes. However, we lack a clear understanding of the aspects of robot appearance older adults pay attention to and consider important for accepting a robot in their homes. The goal of this study was to systematically assess older adults' reactions to a specific robot's appearance in the context of home use. Independent living older adults interacted with the PR2 and were interviewed about its appearance. In general, there was expectation for a small sized robot that fits with the home and is easy to control. There was variability for desired human-likeness, although some human-like characteristics might be acceptable to most.