Device Improvement by Video Analysis of User Tests: Case Study of a Robotic Assistive Device for the Frail Elderly

There is a growing need in recent years for products with high usability. Conventionally, researchers have only focused on the interactions between user and device in carrying out user tests. We have premised our research, however, on the assumption that there exist two users in the use of robotic assistive devices: a frail person, such as an elderly person who needs care, and the caregiver who provides support. As an approach to making a video analysis of a user test, we propose a methodology that focuses on the perspectives of these two users. We used behaviour analysis to compare two videos: one showing a frail elderly person being fed by a caregiver and the other showing the same person eating food on their own with the help of a robotic assistive device. Our finding based on these videos was that the robotic assistive device reduces the burden of caregivers and increases the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly. Also, we discovered that this methodology using video analysis is useful in pinpointing improvements that can be made in the device.