Abstract
Abstract This article is a retrospective overview of work performed in the domain of Active Assisted Living over a span of almost 18 years. The authors have been creating and refining artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics solutions to support older adults in maintaining their independence and improving their quality of life. The goal of this article is to identify strong features and general lessons learned from those experiences and conceive guidelines and new research directions for future deployment, also relying on an analysis of similar research efforts. The work considers key points that have contributed to increase the success of the innovative solutions grounding them on known technology acceptance models. The analysis is presented with a threefold perspective: A Technological vision illustrates the characteristics of the support systems to operate in a real environment with continuity, robustness, and safety; a Socio-Health perspective highlights the role of experts in the socio-assistance domain to provide contextualized and personalized help based on actual people’s needs; finally, a Human dimension takes into account the personal aspects that influence the interaction with technology in the long term experience. The article promotes the crucial role of AI and robotics in ensuring intelligent and situated assistive behaviours. Finally, considering that the produced solutions are socio-technical systems, the article suggests a transdisciplinary approach in which different relevant disciplines merge together to have a complete, coordinated, and more informed vision of the problem.
Highlights
Life expectancy is increasing today [1] and the number of people getting older and needing support is growing
Very often robotic systems are inserted in wider and more complex contexts that include different technologies to provide more complete and contextualized assistance services. This kind of technology reproduce the sense-plan-act model [6] that is ensured by a combination of: (a) environmental and physiological sensors, for monitoring the status of the environment and the senior; (b) artificial intelligence (AI) modules for providing intelligent services such as activity recognition, reminders, proactive suggestions, coaching, etc.; and (c) actuators, intelligent interfaces, and robotic platforms for delivering the assistive services to the seniors [7]
Giraff appeared to be a good means of communication that conveys a nice sense of warmth and intimacy for the older users
Summary
Life expectancy is increasing today [1] and the number of people getting older and needing support is growing. Changes due to advancing age pose challenges that are difficult to solve and overcome [3] In this perspective, research is focusing attention on the creation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)based systems and more recently on robotic systems to help older adults both in physical activities (physical assistive robots) and in intellectual and cognitive activities (social assistive robots [SAR]), distinguishing between physical needs and intellectual/relational relationships of people at different stages of advanced life [4]. Very often robotic systems are inserted in wider and more complex contexts that include different technologies to provide more complete and contextualized assistance services This kind of technology reproduce the sense-plan-act model [6] that is ensured by a combination of: (a) environmental and physiological sensors, for monitoring the status of the environment and the senior; (b) artificial intelligence (AI) modules for providing intelligent services such as activity recognition, reminders, proactive suggestions, coaching, etc.; and (c) actuators, intelligent interfaces, and robotic platforms for delivering the assistive services to the seniors [7].
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