Robotic Partner

According to the study [1], we find that people with dementia want to engage in personal, meaningful activities which are related to themselves while also being involved with their environment. This human factor knowledge allows us to better understand and model our users to address their needs.  Our goal is to use the Nao robot to fulfill their needs for meaningful activities and for this we need to consider the disabilities of people with dementia. This involves taking into account [1]: 

• their lower cognitive abilities 
• difference in psychological behavior 
• perceived stigma or self-stigma
• possibly lower ergonomics. 

To achieve a strong human-robot interaction, the tasks that the robot needs to fulfill in order to aid the person with dementia should be designed in such a way that these points are considered in the development. To address these limiting factors, the Interaction design patterns (IDPs) should involve easy-to-use interaction options. For instance: 

• Interaction with the robot through speech will assist people in doing the activities. This is a natural form of interaction for people with dementia and is not too technical.
• Respond to people based on their perceived emotional state, therefore avoiding further irritation and improving their mood instead. 
• Avoid putting the blame on the people with dementia and encourage them instead, so as to not cause embarrassment for behaviors that are caused by their disease.
• Recognize people to provide adaptive interaction facilities without people having to tell who they are. This can be useful for the care workers inside the nursing home as well as the robot that is interacting with these stakeholders in their own way.
   

[1] 

Han, Areum & Radel, Jeff & Mcdowd, Joan & Sabata, Dory. (2016). Perspectives of People with Dementia About Meaningful Activities: A Synthesis. American Journal of Alzheimer s Disease and Other Dementias. 31. 115-123.