Informing Meaningful Interactions Between a Social Robot and Older Adults
A US educational institute developed software for a robot designed to help older adults find or enhance their ‘ikigai’ (purpose in life). The study aimed to evaluate the robot’s integration into elderly care, its effectiveness for individuals with cognitive and physical decline, and to gather feedback for optimization. The client team conducted parallel studies in the US and Japan to identify similarities and differences.
Our Work
- 1st phase: 10x 1.5-hour in-depth interviews in a controlled environment to observe participants as they completed a series of tasks prompted by the robot (prototype). This phase yielded valuable feedback regarding overall reception, user-friendliness, communication effectiveness, and comprehension of specific activities.
- 2nd phase: 4-week product placement at a day care facility in the Greater Tokyo Area to allow visitors to engage with the robot as part of the recreational program and in a consecutive manner. This stage included check-ins via pen-and-paper surveys and final in-depth interviews with 10 users and 2 facility staff members.
The Outcome
- Enhanced understanding of the range of topics suitable for integration into discussions surrounding ‘ikigai’, along with associated expectations and limitations, to improve user engagement
- Identification of the target audience that would be receptive to the concept of a conversational robot and recognizes its potential benefits
- Recommendations for optimizing the robot’s communication efficacy and expanding its range of activities based on genuine user feedback
“We recognize this was a challenging setup for all and we are very grateful to the entire team for persisting with the study. Thank you again for the interesting report. We enjoyed going over it and seeing what you have learned from the participants.”
– Client Voice