User-Centered Design of Socially Assistive Robotic Combined with Non-Immersive Virtual Reality-based Dyadic Activities for Older Adults Residing in Long Term Care Facilities

Apathy impairs the quality of life for older adults and their care providers. While few pharmacological remedies exist, current non-pharmacologic approaches are resource intensive. To address these concerns, this study utilizes a user-centered design (UCD) process to develop and test a set of dyadic activities that provide physical, cognitive, and social stimuli to older adults residing in long-term care (LTC) communities. Within the design, a novel framework that combines socially assistive robots and non-immersive virtual reality (SAR-VR) emphasizing human-robot interaction (HRI) and human-computer interaction (HCI) is utilized with the roles of the robots being coach and entertainer. An interdisciplinary team of engineers, nurses, and physicians collaborated with an advisory panel comprising LTC activity coordinators, staff, and residents to prototype the activities. The study resulted in four virtual activities: three with the humanoid robot, Nao, and one with the animal robot, Aibo. Fourteen participants tested the acceptability of the different components of the system and provided feedback at different stages of development. Participant approval increased significantly over successive iterations of the system highlighting the importance of stakeholder feedback. Five LTC staff members successfully set up the system with minimal help from the researchers, demonstrating the usability of the system for caregivers. Rationale for activity selection, design changes, and both quantitative and qualitative results on the acceptability and usability of the system have been presented. The paper discusses the challenges encountered in developing activities for older adults in LTCs and underscores the necessity of the UCD process to address them.