Home Integration of Conversational Robots to Enhance Ageing and Dementia Care

Abstract

Conversational technology provides an accessible interface for verbal engagement and support in daily living. However, bridging the gap between robotics research for ageing and dementia care and deployment in everyday life remains a significant challenge. My research investigates how conversational robots can support the independence and well-being of older adults and people living with dementia (PLWD) at home. We analysed interactions with commercial conversational agents deployed in homes with PLWD over 6+ months. We introduced a framework to map behaviour by correlating activities detected by environmental sensors with voice interactions. Using a participatory approach, we underscored key feasibility challenges to support PLWD in different cultural and economic contexts (UK and India). Future work will design and analyse human-robot natural language interactions to promote and monitor cognitive health in target populations.