Music and Cognition

In this section, we discuss how WAF incorporates audio in its design and how it helps people with dementia (PwDs).

To incorporate audio into WAF, we envision it to make ambient sounds simulating footsteps of a real dog walking outside. Due to the physical limitations of MiRo, we limit the scope to walk on flat surfaces inside the care center. The ambient sounds are played rhythmically with every step to make PwDs associate the rhythm of the sound to the pace of the current walk. WAF is also able to make excited noises when it is walking with the user and everything is going well. By making WAF not only look, but also sound similar to a real dog, it could reap the same cognitive benefits of real dogs assisting PwDs, such as increased engagement in the walk itself (Marcia S. et al, 2010).