A mixed-method approach to evoke creative and holistic thinking about robots in a home environment

Discovering older adults’ perceptions and expectations of domestic care service robots are vital in informing the design and development of new technologies to ensure acceptability and usability. This paper identifies issues that were elicited from older adults using different methods to promote creative thinking about domestic robots at an emotional level, as well as pragmatic level. These included exploring people’s ideal embodiment preferences and requirements for a domestic care service robot, and also what embodiments and functional aspects will not be acceptable. We analysed our findings using relevant constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, and Technology Acceptance models. In addition to some already well-established findings, we discovered some surprising aspects concerning interaction, behaviour and appearance and the ability for the robot to fit the relevant context, both physically and conceptually. Categories and Subject Descriptors Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities, Requirements Elicitation General Terms Design, Human Factors