Need and impressions of communication robots for seniors with slight physical and cognitive disabilities: Evaluation using system usability scale

Abstract

Various types of communication robots have emerged for supporting elderly people with impairments or frailties. However, the need of the robots for healthy elderly persons with decreasing physical and cognitive abilities remains unclear. Knowledge about these needs can help determine the guidelines or implications of the introduction of communication robots for healthy seniors. The objective of this study is to clarify the needs and the impressions of various communication robots for seniors with slight physical or cognitive problems. The scores on the system usability scale (SUS) and interview results indicated that, with increasing participant age, mammal-like communication robots were more preferable than other types. In addition, elderly persons with minor physical problems tended not to prefer manually operated robots.