The Potential for ‘Needy’ Socially Assistive Robots in Assisted Living: Support Workers’ Perspectives

Abstract

Amidst the mounting challenges posed by the ageing of worldwide populations, innovative care approaches need to be explored. Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) have emerged as a potential solution, however despite their potential benefits, they have yet to realise widespread utilisation. We conducted a mixed-methodology study to explore the perspectives of 24 support workers and other healthcare professionals on SARs and the potential integration of ‘needy’ traits to increase acceptance of future SARs. Needy traits in this context refer to the integration of traits which produce a sense of dependence from the robot to the user, with the intention of fostering similar engagements as between a person and their pet. Focus groups, questionnaires and interviews were utilised to gather valuable insights. Overall, support workers exhibited a positive attitude towards existing SARs and were receptive to the concept of an SAR with ‘needy’ traits. However, several significant barriers including privacy, technology literacy and cost still need to be addressed to allow for their widespread adoption.