Abstract
The current paper addresses the implications of doing research on socially assistive robots in real homes. In contrast to laboratory studies, studies of robots in their intended natural environments can provide insights into people’s experiences of robots, and if and how a robot becomes embedded and used in people’s everyday life. However, moving robots out of the lab and into real life environments poses several challenges. Laboratory methods mainly focus on cause-and-effect relations between independent and dependent variables, while researchers who are conducting studies in real homes have much less control. In home trials, researchers need to decide what kind of data is obtainable and available. In real homes, researchers face unique challenges that require unique and pragmatic approaches. Any single study conducted in a real home is likely to have methodological limitations. Therefore, several different studies using different robots and methods are needed before the results can be converged in order to reach conclusions that are convincingly supported. This paper is an effort to provide such a report on a specific empirical case and converging findings from other studies. The goal is to provide an account of the research challenges and opportunities encountered when introducing a robot into its intended practice: the homes of older people. The aim is to give enough details for other researchers to critically examine and systematically build on the insights and findings presented.
Highlights
There is a longstanding interest in understanding how robots can entertain, cure, care for and/or support older people at home
The implementation of robotic solutions can offer opportunities to enhance the quality of life and improve the efficiency of care at home, but it raises questions and doubts
Others argue that robots can provide 24-h support and assistance and that an increased ageing population means that society will no longer be able to provide human care for all older people in need [37]
Summary
There is a longstanding interest in understanding how robots can entertain, cure, care for and/or support older people at home. The implementation of robotic solutions can offer opportunities to enhance the quality of life and improve the efficiency of care at home, but it raises questions and doubts. Sharkey and Sharkey [59] warn that robots in eldercare will reduce time for human contact, deceive older people into believing that they are being cared for, increase the feeling of loss of control, privacy and personal liberty. Others argue that robots can provide 24-h support and assistance and that an increased ageing population means that society will no longer be able to provide human care for all older people in need [37]. The increased digitalisation in society has resulted in social changes in which human experiences are progressively mediated by technology.
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