The Multifaceted Nature of Robotic Companionship when Presented as a Secondary Function

Abstract

Companion robots have been suggested as a promising technology for older adults who experience loneliness. However, healthy older adults commonly reject robots designed to be an "artificial friend". We follow the approach of "companionship as a secondary function", in which a non-humanoid robot is designed with a primary function that older adults perceive as appropriate, and a secondary function of companionship. In a Zoom-based exploratory need-study we unfold how older adults perceive the various aspects of a robot's "companionship" as a secondary function. Our qualitative analysis reveals several use cases that older adults find to be appropriate for their daily routine, and classify them into three high-level categories: companionship as "attentive to me", companionship as "looking after me", and companionship as "experiencing together with me". Our findings indicate that robot companionship, when designed as a secondary function, is perceived by older adults as a multifaceted social experience.