The introduction of care robots as a leadership challenge in home care facilities in Finland

Aims: This paper analyses the factors that influence home care employees’ intention to introduce robots. Background: The introduction of different kinds of care robots is a topical issue in elderly care now and in the near future. Methods: Cross-sectional research conducted through a questionnaire. The survey data (N = 162) were collected in five locations around Finland in 2019. The analysis was carried out by regression analysis, Sobel test and by Hayes’ bootstrapping method. Results: The results show that self-efficacy is pivotal in the willingness to introduce care robots. Employees’ age increases the enthusiasm to introduce robots but reduces self-efficacy. Work engagement does not correlate with self-efficacy or behavioural intention related to the introduction of care robots. Conclusions: The present paper reveals the significance of attitudes, cognitive factors and age in the adoption of care robots in home care facilities. Practical implications: It is important to pay attention to supporting the employees’ sense of technology management and the construction of a robot positive atmosphere when introducing care robots, and the development of skills of older employees and employees with a lower educational level should be supported

Thesaurus Project: Design of New Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for Documentation and Protection of Underwater Archaeological Sites

The Thesaurus Project, funded by the Regione Toscana, combines humanistic and technological research aiming at developing a new generation of cooperating Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and at documenting ancient and modern Tuscany shipwrecks. Technological research will allow performing an archaeological exploration mission through the use of a swarm of autonomous, smart and self-organizing underwater vehicles. Using acoustic communications, these vehicles will be able to exchange each other data related to the state of the exploration and then to adapt their behavior to improve the survey. The archival research and archaeological survey aim at collecting all reports related to the underwater evidences and the events of sinking occurred in the sea of Tuscany. The collected data will be organized in a specific database suitably modeled