Abstract
The subject of “technical assistants” in inpatient care is currently being widely discussed in scientific and public circles. In many cases, though, it has become apparent that the umbrella term “assistive technologies”, also in the context of robotics, is very contrived. Against this background, the authors of this article reflect on the meaning of “assistance” in socio-technical systems, and critically review its relevance. To understand and demonstrate “assistive” functions, it is essential to establish a frame of reference. The re-evaluation of an empirical study of people with dementia in inpatient care has revealed the functional character of technical assistance systems. The results, however, show that the theoretical debate on the social and organisational function of “assistance” in these technical fields is still lacking. Therefore, the reflections in this paper may also provide some starting points for this debate.
Highlights
According to politicians’ and scientists’ visions of the future we are heading towards a “robot society” ([1]), at least in highly industrialised countries. This is evident when looking at current national research programs or various countries’ national action plans, in which the field of robotics is considered as an important future technology
The Dutch scientists Royakkers and van Est state, “the idea that in future robotics will play a central role in all spheres of our society” [2] (p. 5)
The umbrella term “assistive” technologies does not seem very constructive. It appears that the use of the term “assistance” is consciously linked to traditional metaphors of the care setting, including welfare, companionship, and empathetic support, in order to increase the social acceptability of these new technologies
Summary
According to politicians’ and scientists’ visions of the future we are heading towards a “robot society” ([1]), at least in highly industrialised countries. The distinction between inpatient and ambulant care alone points to very significant differences in relation to these contexts [13] When relating this to the original meaning of assistance in care activities as psychological and physical support in everyday life for people in need of care, the question of what role future assistive robots (e.g., robots that lift patients in and out of bed) should have remains unanswered. It appears that the use of the term “assistance” is consciously linked to traditional metaphors of the care setting, including welfare, companionship, and empathetic support, in order to increase the social acceptability of these new technologies In view of this assessment, the authors argue for reflecting on the metaphor of assistance in socio-technical systems and reviewing their relevance. They lead to overarching questions regarding the conceptual requirements of future (robotic) technologies to ensure that they offer assistive functions
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