Iterative User Centered Design of Robot-Mediated Paired Activities for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
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This paper describes the design and implementation of a human-computer interaction (HCI) and human-robot interaction (HRI) based activity designed to foster human-human interaction (HHI) in older adults with cognitive impairment who reside in long term care (LTC) facilities. Apathy is a major condition among this population; apathy is associated with social isolation, cognitive decline, and a reduced quality of life. Few options exist in the treatment of apathy; multi-modal activities addressing cognitive, physical, and social domains hold the most promise but are the most resource intensive. Given the shortage of caregivers, use of technology such as social robots and virtual reality may be useful to complement activity programs. In this paper, we present the iterative design process of a virtual dog training activity using Unity game engine, the humanoid robot Nao, and the puppy robot Aibo. We solicited inputs from expert stakeholders (physicians, nurses, activity directors, and occupational therapists) and residents living in LTC facilities during each step of the design process. We describe their feedback and corresponding changes to the activity. Initial participant testing data in a LTC community, participants’ final thoughts, and approval rating of the various components of the system are also presented. The participants rated the system on six categories on a scale of one to five; the mean rating per category increased by 0.58 after the second session.