Human–Robot Interaction Analysis for a Smart Walker for Elderly: The ACANTO Interactive Guidance System

The present study aims to investigate the interaction between older adults and a robotic walker named FriWalk, which has the capability to act as a navigation support and to guide the user through indoor environments along a planned path. To this purpose, we developed a guidance system named Simulated Passivity, which leaves the responsibility of the locomotion to the user, both to increase the mobility of elder users and to enhance their perception of control over the robot. Moreover, the robotic walker can be integrated with a tablet and graphical user interface (GUI) which provides visual indications to the user on the path to follow. Since the FriWalk and Simulated Passivity were developed to suit the needs of users with different deficits, we conducted a human–robot interaction experiment, complemented with direct interviews of the participants. The goals of the present work were to observe the relation between elders (with and without visual impairments) and the robot in completing a path (with and without the support of the GUI), and to collect the impressions about of the older adult participants about the interaction. Our results show an overall positive impression of the FriWalk and an evident flexibility and adaptability of its guidance system across different categories of users (e.g., with or without visual impairments). In the paper, we discuss the implications of these findings on service social robotics.