Coaching Robots for Older Seniors: Do They Get What They Expect? Insights from an Austrian Study

Cornelia Schneider () and Hafsa Bousbiat
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Cornelia Schneider: Institute of Computer Science, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Hafsa Bousbiat: Institute of Computer Science, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: To support the increasing number of older people, new (assistive) technologies are constantly being developed. For these technologies to be used successfully, future users need to be trained. Due to demographic change, this will become difficult in the future, as the resources for training will no longer be available. In this respect, coaching robots could have great potential to support younger seniors in particular. However, there is little evidence in the literature about the perceptions and potential impact of this technology on the well-being of older people. This paper provides insights into the use of a robot coach (robo-coach) to train younger seniors in the use of a new technology. The study was carried out in Austria in autumn 2020, involving 34 participants equally distributed among employees in their last three years of service and retirees in their first three years of retirement (23 female; 11 male). The aim was to assess participants’ expectations and perceptions by examining the perceived ease of use and user experience of the robot in providing assistance during a learning session. The findings reveal a positive impression of the participants and promising results for using the robot as a coaching assistant in daily tasks.

Keywords: Ambient Assisted Living; AAL; social robot; usability; user experience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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