As mentioned in Functions, there are two functions. However, due to the scope of the course, we will focus on the first function: Walking with the MiRo. Due to the scope of this project and the limitations of the MiRo, we will not evaluate Snoezelen as our second function. It is however described within the context of claims to demonstrate how Snoezelen with a future MiRo may affect different persons with dementia.

Key terms: Person with Dementia (PwD)

For the both functions, we will outline the positive as well as the negative effects for each persona and their interaction on the storyboard. Finally, we will construct a claim from these effects.

Walking with the MiRo

Effects on Personas

Cornelia (PwD who likes dogs)

After walking with the MiRo, Cornelia will feel happier as she was able to rekindle some nostalgic memories she obtained when walking with the former dog she used to own. In addition, her mood will increase as she managed to do some exercise. Cornelia's introvertedness and independence make her reluctant to bother her loved ones or caretakers to go on a walk with her. As such she is relieved that the MiRo allows her to regain some of her former autonomy she used to enjoy. 

That being said, she may grow fond of walking with the MiRo and exert her own body by walking more than she can handle at her age. Moreover, the MiRo might not be able to assist her immediately if Cornelia gets injured herself by walking into obstacles or tripping over the MiRo.

Constantijn (PwD who dislikes dogs)

After walking with the MiRo, Constantijn will feel elated that he was able to leave his room at all. Constantijn is known for his eagerness to talk to his co-residents and the MiRo allows him to fulfill his desire. Although he is less bothered by the lack of autonomy, it does provide him with a little boost in self-confidence as he was able to accomplish his goal. However, Constantijn's aversion for dogs will make him want to walk away from the MiRo. This can lead to undesired results such as additional care needed from caretakers and Constantijn may end up being punished by not being able to go out on his own due to non-compliance from his walk with the MiRo. When this scenario occurs, his autonomy will be severely reduced and make him utterly depressed. 

Importance of Autonomy

Autonomy is important for People with Dementia as that will make them more motivated (Deci & Ryan, 1985) to walk with the MiRo. Being connected with oneself and others (Han et al., 2015, p. 118) is crucial for PwD. The lack of autonomy is an insurmountable barrier to overcome for PwD. This is emphasized, because this factor outweighs any initial hurdles that may be introduced with the arrival of new technology such as the MiRo robot. 

Claim

Given positive and negative effects of walking with the Miro, it is clear that people with opposing views on dogs can still reap the benefits that come with walking with the MiRo. It should be noted though that there are issues, which are mentioned under Environments, which need to be addressed to mitigate any unnerving effects that the MiRo has on PwD and their surrounding stakeholders.

Therefore, we claim that PwD experience an increase in perceived autonomy compared to walking with a caretaker. In order to support the claim, we will experimentally verify whether the MiRo can provide effective guidance on a pre-determined route and that the regained autonomy outweighs delayed assistance from human caretakers in case PwD find themselves in trouble during their walk. 

Our experimental setup is mentioned under: Test

Snoezelen with MiRo

Snoezelen with the robot dog is unfortunately not possible with MiRo due to MiRo being limited in a couple of different areas. First of all, MiRo is very fragile. When one touches MiRos head, it moves a bit down each time. Secondly MiRos lights are just a few small LED lights. As Snoezelen would be done by elderly people who might have a visual impairment, it would be preferable to have bigger or more diffused lights so the PwD are able to see a change in colours. Finally, when people are petting the dog, it might be better if the robot dog would have some fur, it would feel more realistic.
Future work would include incorporating Snoezelen. To incorporate Snoezelen, a new prototype of the robot should be created, once a new prototype has been created, an evaluation on how useful Snoezelen is with this new Prototype should be done as well.

PwD who likes Snoezelen

Positive effects

The sensory stimuli produced by the Miro can calm down the PwD when they are distraught. Snoezelen helps with the stimulation of one's mind and encourages PwD to pet the miro to observe a spectrum of LEDs and listen to calming and relaxing sounds.

Negative effects

If the PwD has any auditory or visual impairments, these could alter the experience and the effectiveness of Snoezelen with Miro. In addition, epillepsy, sensitive hearing or similar sensory disorders may cause the PwD to be overwhelmed. As such, the Miro should be able to adapt to each different PwD. Modifications include: changing the volume of sounds, removing (relatively) high-pitched noises and removing visual patterns that may induce epilleptic attacks.

PwD who dislikes Snoezelen

Positive effects

Even if the PwD is disinterested initially, they may still have the innate desire to explore the association between touching the Miro and its response. If the PwD then decides that it is not their cup of tea, they were at least suggested a new activity that stimulated their mind. Else, they may become fond of Snoezelen in subsequent sessions.

Negative effects

Similar to the negative effects for PwD who are into Snoezelen, PwDs may get traumatized when the Miro expresses unexpected behavior or overstimulates them. These effects are augmented when PwD has no inclination for Snoezelen or similar activities at all.

Claim

Whether the PwD likes/dislikes Snoezelen at first seems irrelevant for the outcome that PwD will become either more relaxed at best or not bothered at worst by the Miro at all. In order to justify this claim, the Miro must be programmed to accommodate for sensitivity of each PwD. As failing to do so, may cause long-term trauma or injury for PwD.