Robotics Technology in Mental Health Care

This chapter discusses the existing and future use of robotics and intelligent sensing technology in mental health care. While the use of this technology is nascent in mental health care, it represents a potentially useful tool in the practitioner's toolbox. The goal of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the field, discuss the recent use of robotics technology in mental health care practice, explore some of the design issues and ethical issues of using robots in this space, and finally to explore the potential of emerging technology

Healthcare Robotics

Robots have the potential to be a game changer in healthcare: improving health and well-being, filling care gaps, supporting care givers, and aiding health care workers. However, before robots are able to be widely deployed, it is crucial that both the research and industrial communities work together to establish a strong evidence-base for healthcare robotics, and surmount likely adoption barriers. This article presents a broad contextualization of robots in healthcare by identifying key stakeholders, care settings, and tasks; reviewing recent advances in healthcare robotics; and outlining major challenges and opportunities to their adoption.Comment: 8 pages, Communications of the ACM, 201

AgeTech, Ethics and Equity:Towards a Cultural Shift in AgeTech Ethical Responsibility

Population ageing is a global phenomenon which presents major challenges for the provision of care at home and in the community (ONS, 2018). Challenges include the human and economic costs associated with increasing numbers of older people with poor physical and mental health, loneliness, and isolation challenges (Mihalopoulos et al., 2020). The global ageing population has led to a growth in the development of technology designed to improve the health, well-being, independence, and quality of life of older people across various settings (Fang, 2022). This emerging field, known as “AgeTech,” refers to “the use of advanced technologies such as information and communications technologies (ICT’s), technologies related to e-health, robotics, mobile technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), ambient systems, and pervasive computing to drive technology-based innovation to benefit older adults” (Sixsmith, et al., 2020 p1; see also Pruchno, 2019; Sixsmith, Sixsmith, Fang, and Horst, 2020).AgeTech has the potential to contribute in positive ways to the everyday life and care of older people by improving access to services and social supports, increasing safety and community inclusion; increasing independence and health, as well as reducing the impact of disability and cognitive decline for older people (Sixsmith et al, 2020). At a societal level, AgeTech can provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses (where funding and appropriate models exist) (Akpan, Udoh and Adebisi, 2022), reduce the human and financial cost of care (Mihalopoulos et al., 2020), and support ageing well in the right place (Golant, 2015)

Which activities threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic : inspiration for meaningful service robot functionality

Purpose: In light of the increasing elderly population and the growing demand for home care, the potential of robot support is given increasing attention. In this paper, an inventory of activities was made that threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic. Results will guide the further development of an existing service robot, the Care-O-bot®. Method: A systematic literature search of PubMed was performed, focused on the risk factors for institutionalization. Additionally, focus group sessions were conducted in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and France. In these focus group sessions, problematic activities threatening the independence of elderly people were discussed. Three separate target groups were included in the focus group sessions: (1) elderly persons (n = 41), (2) formal caregivers (n = 40) and (3) informal caregivers (n = 32). Results: Activities within the International Classification of Functioning domains mobility, self-care, and interpersonal interaction and relationships were found to be the most problematic. Conclusions: A distinct set of daily activities was identified that may threaten independent living, but no single activity could be selected as the main activity causing a loss of independence as it is often a combination of problematic activities that is person-specific. Supporting the problematic activities need not involve a robotic solution Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17483107.2013.840861Peer reviewe

The emergence of care robotics: A publication and patent analysis

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Interaction design and emotional wellbeing

The World Health Organisation has concluded that emotional wellbeing is fundamental to our quality of life. It enables us to experience life as meaningful and is an essential component of social cohesion, peace and stability in the living environment [21]. This workshop will bring together a diverse community to consolidate existing knowledge and identify new opportunities for research on technologies designed to support emotional wellbeing. The workshop will examine uses of technology in mental health settings, but will also consider the importance of emotional needs in physical healthcare and wellbeing more generally. The design of technology to provide social support and to extend traditional care networks will be key workshop themes