Mutual shaping in the design of socially assistive robots: A case study on social robots for therapy

This paper offers a case study in undertaking a mutual shaping approach to the design of socially assistive robots. We consider the use of social robots in therapy, and we present our results regarding this application, but the approach is generalisable. Our methodology combines elements of user-centered and participatory design with a focus on mutual learning. We present it in full alongside a more general guide for application to other areas. This approach led to valuable results concerning mutual shaping effects and societal factors regarding the use of such robots early in the design process. We also measured a significant shift in participant robot acceptance pre-/post-study, demonstrating that our approach led to the two-way sharing and shaping of knowledge, ideas and acceptance

The ethics of inherent trust in care robots for the elderly

The way elderly care is delivered is changing. Attempts are being made to accommodate the increasing number of elderly, and the decline in the number of people available to care for them, with care robots. This change introduces ethical issues into robotics and healthcare. The two-part study (heuristic evaluation and survey) reported here examines a phenomenon which is a result of that change. The phenomenon rises out of a contradiction. All but 2 (who were undecided) of the 12 elderly survey respondents, out of the total of 102 respondents, wanted to be able to change how the presented care robot made decisions and 7 of those 12 elderly wanted to be able to examine its decision making process so as to ensure the care provided is personalized. However, at the same time, 34% of the elderly participants said they were willing to trust the care robot inherently, compared to only 16% of the participants who were under fifty. Additionally, 66% of the elderly respondents said they were very likely or likely to accept and use such a care robot in their everyday lives. The contradiction of inherent trust and simultaneous wariness about control gives rise to the phenomenon: elderly in need want control over their care to ensure it is personalized, but many may desperately take any help they can get. The possible causes, and ethical implications, of this phenomenon are the focus of this paper

Robots in education and care of children with developmental disabilities : a study on acceptance by experienced and future professionals

Research in the area of robotics has made available numerous possibilities for further innovation in the education of children, especially in the rehabilitation of those with learning difficulties and/or intellectual disabilities. Despite the scientific evidence, there is still a strong scepticism against the use of robots in the fields of education and care of people. Here we present a study on the acceptance of robots by experienced practitioners (specialized in the treatment of intellectual disabilities) and university students in psychology and education sciences (as future professionals). The aim is to examine the factors, through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, that may influence the decision to use a robot as an instrument in the practice. The overall results confirm the applicability of the model in the context of education and care of children, and suggest a positive attitude towards the use of the robot. The comparison highlights some scepticism among the practitioners, who perceive the robot as an expensive and limited tool, while students show a positive perception and a significantly higher willingness to use the robot. From this experience, we formulate the hypothesis that robots may be accepted if more integrated with standard rehabilitation protocols in a way that benefits can outweigh the costs

The Role of Social Robots in Public Space

The purpose of this research is to understand what might be today—on the edge of the social robotics era—the role of robots in public spaces. In Europe, there was a strong tradition of automata exhibition in the ‘600 and 700’ with ostensive purpose. Exposing automata in various fairs was meant to inspire awe towards the advancement of technology and science in the public who attended numerous public events. This study aims to investigate whether in the modern world the robot may have the same or other functions in public space. The study has analyzed the public display of the robot DORO: a technological artifact created by the Sant’Anna School during the European project ROBOT-ERA. Two distinct public moments were examined. The first was the night of researchers in Pisa on 30 September 2016 in Martiri della Libertà’s square, where DORO was exhibited to the public. The second occasion was the inauguration of the 39th academic year of the University of Udine. On this occasion, DORO brought to the rector his inaugural lecture and exchanged—in front of a large auditorium—a brief dialogue with the rector of the University of Udine, prof. Alberto de Toni

The robot in the classroom: A review of a robot role

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020. The 20th-century was the age of computers and information communication technology; at the beginning of the 21st-century researchers are exploring the use of robots in the classroom. Our review investigates the implementation of copresent social robots with teaching purposes in a classroom setting in areas other than the teaching of subjects that are closely related to the field of Robotics. We are interested in anthropomorphic robots, with an active role in the classroom and capable of human-like activity. With a search of the WOS database and a subsequent manual search in 19 journals we identified 24 relevant articles which have been included in the analysis. Studies mostly include small number of participating learners. In all studies special conditions are established for the robot intervention in a classroom. Most often robots appear in roles as teacher, teacher assistant and Care-Receiving Robot. Robots interventions were conducted by NAO, Saya, RoboThespian, Bioloid, BAXTER, Darwin, NIMA-Robocop, Robosapien, TIRO. Social robots diverge from the computer-mediated communication technologies, as they are not mediating interaction but are partner in interaction. ITSs and ILEs assist teachers in teaching, while the teacher and a robot have a shared presence in the classroom. The copresent social robots perform a social role by interacting with students. Robotic activities are aimed at delivering learning materials and not primarily for individualised teaching, which encompasses the delivery of feedback and the tailoring learning activities for individual learner’s needs