Innovation through robotics: Person-centered design to enhance human-robot interactions
W. A. Rogers
& T. L. Mitzner.
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AbstractPURPOSE: Older adults are open to the idea of interacting with robots, although they have preferences for the nature of the tasks that they want the robot to do as well as what they want the robot to look like. Given the heterogeneity of older adults, there is a wide range of tasks for which a robot could support their everyday activities. Their preferences, needs, abilities, and limitations must be considered in the process of design and deployment of robots. Moreover, it is crucial to involve older adults throughout the design process from formative to summative evaluation and beyond to the integration of the robot into their everyday activities. We have developed a framework that can be used to guide design of robots that will be useful to and usable by older adults [1]. METHOD: Human-robot interaction (HRI), by definition, encompasses the human, the robot, and their interaction. The interaction has the goal of performing a task together, and it occurs within a broader context. We developed the HRI framework illustrated in Figure 1 to specify these different components. We developed the framework based on a combination of our own empirical case studies and evidence-based research findings in the literature, as well as on user-centered and universal design principles. The framework encompasses the four primary dimensions of HRI: the human, the robot, the interaction, and the environmental context. These dimensions represent the breadth of variables that should be considered in the design of a robot and the many factors that impact HRI. The framework can be used by robot developers to guide design priorities and specifications, as well as by researchers to delineate factors that may influence HRI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: To illustrate the application of the framework to robot design, we will present three use cases: (1) a robot to support on older adult who is mute with quadriplegia and his primary caregiver who is also his wife; (2) a robotic shower to support older adults with mobility disabilities; and (3) a wayfinding robot to support older adults with vision impairments. These examples illustrate both the complexity of designing robots to support older adults as well as the application value of the HRI framework.Keywords: robot, disability, activity support
W. A. Rogers
& T. L. Mitzner. (2026). Innovation through robotics: Person-centered design to enhance human-robot interactions. Gerontechnology, 25(2), 1-10
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.2.1377.3