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The Design of On-Body Robots for Older Adults

Victor Nikhil Antony, Clara Jeon, Jiasheng Li, Ge Gao, Huaishu Peng, Anastasia K. Ostrowski, Chien-Ming Huang

TL;DR

This study investigates how to design on-body, movable robots for older adults—a population with unique needs and sensitivities—by employing a two-phase co-design process with 13 participants. Using Calico as a design probe, the authors map an initial two-level design space (design scopes: Context, Human, Application; design factors: Robot, Communication) and derive concrete interaction concepts, including Fall Risk Mitigators and a Physical Therapy Coach. They emphasize the importance of co-presence, embodiment, and multimodal communication, and demonstrate how context, body posture, and social norms shape feasible designs. The work provides a practical framework and forecasting guidance for developing prototypes and evaluating on-body robots in real-world aging-in-place scenarios, highlighting the value of involving older adults early in the design process to promote usability and acceptance.

Abstract

Wearable technology has significantly improved the quality of life for older adults, and the emergence of on-body, movable robots presents new opportunities to further enhance well-being. Yet, the interaction design for these robots remains under-explored, particularly from the perspective of older adults. We present findings from a two-phase co-design process involving 13 older adults to uncover design principles for on-body robots for this population. We identify a rich spectrum of potential applications and characterize a design space to inform how on-body robots should be built for older adults. Our findings highlight the importance of considering factors like co-presence, embodiment, and multi-modal communication. Our work offers design insights to facilitate the integration of on-body robots into daily life and underscores the value of involving older adults in the co-design process to promote usability and acceptance of emerging wearable robotic technologies.

The Design of On-Body Robots for Older Adults

TL;DR

This study investigates how to design on-body, movable robots for older adults—a population with unique needs and sensitivities—by employing a two-phase co-design process with 13 participants. Using Calico as a design probe, the authors map an initial two-level design space (design scopes: Context, Human, Application; design factors: Robot, Communication) and derive concrete interaction concepts, including Fall Risk Mitigators and a Physical Therapy Coach. They emphasize the importance of co-presence, embodiment, and multimodal communication, and demonstrate how context, body posture, and social norms shape feasible designs. The work provides a practical framework and forecasting guidance for developing prototypes and evaluating on-body robots in real-world aging-in-place scenarios, highlighting the value of involving older adults early in the design process to promote usability and acceptance.

Abstract

Wearable technology has significantly improved the quality of life for older adults, and the emergence of on-body, movable robots presents new opportunities to further enhance well-being. Yet, the interaction design for these robots remains under-explored, particularly from the perspective of older adults. We present findings from a two-phase co-design process involving 13 older adults to uncover design principles for on-body robots for this population. We identify a rich spectrum of potential applications and characterize a design space to inform how on-body robots should be built for older adults. Our findings highlight the importance of considering factors like co-presence, embodiment, and multi-modal communication. Our work offers design insights to facilitate the integration of on-body robots into daily life and underscores the value of involving older adults in the co-design process to promote usability and acceptance of emerging wearable robotic technologies.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 26 sections, 4 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Works
  3. Wearable Robots
  4. Designing with Older Adults
  5. Design Process
  6. Phase 1: Exploratory Workshops
  7. Phase 1 Outcomes
  8. Phase 2: Application-Focused Workshops
  9. Data Analysis
  10. Co-Designed Interactions of On-Body Robots
  11. On-Body Robots as Fall Risk Mitigators
  12. On-Body Robots As Physical Therapy Coach
  13. Characterizing the Design Space
  14. Design Scope: Context
  15. Design Scope: Human
  16. ...and 11 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: We engaged older adults as co-designers of on-body robots using Calicosathya2022calico as a design probe to ground the design process.
  • Figure 2: Our two-phased design process consisted of three exploratory workshops for divergent ideation of use cases for on-body robots and application-focused workshops for convergent, detailed interaction design for three domains: massage, physical therapy and walking.
  • Figure 3: Storyboard visualizing key components of the co-designed interaction of an on-body robot as a PT Coach.
  • Figure 4: We characterize an initial two-level design space for on-body robots consisting of design scopes and interconnected design factors.