Mediating Personal Relationships with Robotic Pets for Fostering Human-Human Interaction of Older Adults

TL;DR

This study explores how robotic pets can be designed as telerobots to help older adults foster human-human relationships remotely, aiming to improve mental health and reduce loneliness.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into designing robotic pets as telerobots to enhance human-human interaction among older adults, a novel focus in HCI research.

Findings

Robotic pets can serve as mediators for remote human interaction.

Design considerations for robotic telerobots to support mental health.

Older adults perceive robotic pets as tools for social connection.

Abstract

Good human relationships are important for us to have a happy life and maintain our well-being. Otherwise, we will be at risk of experiencing loneliness or depression. In human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), robotic systems offer nuanced approaches to foster human connection, providing interaction beyond the traditional mediums that smartphones and computers offer. However, many existing studies primarily focus on the humanrobot relationships that older adults form directly with robotic pets rather than exploring how these robotic pets can enhance human-human relationships. Our ethnographic study investigates how robotic pets can be designed to facilitate human relationships. Through semi-structured interviews with six older adults and thematic analysis, our empirical findings provide insights into how robotic pets can be designed as telerobots to connect with others remotely, thus contributing to advance future development of robotic systems for mental health.