Envisioning Mobile Telemanipulator Robots for Long Covid

Abstract

Long Covid (LC) is a debilitating disease impacting over 65 million people worldwide. The heterogeneity, severity, and unpredictability of LC symptoms cause episodic disability, leading to widespread social isolation among People with Long Covid (PwLC). Mobile Telemanipulator Robots (MTRs) offer the potential to support the social inclusion of PwLC. However, nuanced MTR design is needed to accommodate PwLC's fluctuating needs and avoid perpetuating stigma. In this work, we engaged PwLC in a participatory design process to explore how MTRs can be designed to support them. We present design considerations, grounded in the lenses of critical disability studies and critical access studies, for accessible MTR systems to support PwLC. We plan to expand on this to develop new shared control algorithms and explore the social and ethical implications of autonomous behaviors in such MTR systems.