How robotics can help care for older people

As the global aging population grows rapidly, technology has great potential to care for older people.

Back in 1980, Sweden had the highest percentage of elderly people in the world at 16%. Today, Japan tops the list with nearly 30%. According to the United Nations (https://desapublations.un.g/publications/world-social-report-2023-leaving-no-one-behind-ageing-world), by 2050, 40% of China's population is expected to be over 65 years old.

Improved living standards, advances in medicine, and innovations in health technology have allowed people to live longer. But with these advances comes a looming challenge: how to care for the growing number of older people.

Care robots can be part of the solution to this challenge. By providing a variety of technologies and new devices, robotic innovations can help older adults maintain independence, improve quality of life, stay healthy, and provide emotional support.

IEEE Senior Member and Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine Yi Guo and colleagues have developed an integrated robotic and wearable system to support elderly people in their home care. In a recent issue of Yi Guo's Editor's Note, she explains how her team tested the system at a nursing home in New York City where seniors exercise and participate in physical activities.

Older adults who said they liked new technology also tended to have a positive view of aging, the study found.

Can you explain how robotic innovations can specifically assist older adults in their daily lives and improve their overall care?

Robotic innovations can provide technologies and new devices to help older adults exercise, do housework, remind them to take medication, provide companionship and emotional support, monitor their health, record their physical and emotional data with assistive devices, communicate with doctors and caregivers, etc. This may occur in their homes or in assisted living facilities. The main research areas of robotics include social assistance robots, rehabilitation robots, and wearable sensors and robots.

Could you elaborate on the recent editorial published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine that discusses chnophilia — a love of technology — as a significant predictor of positive self-perception of aging?

One of our research goals was to assess older adults’ attitudes toward robotics. The survey data we collected from participants showed that high ratings of technophilia were a significant predictor of positive self-perceptions of aging. This means that older adults who like new things or think technology makes life easier feel better about aging, and they are more likely to report that “things are better than I thought as I get older,” or “I am as happy or happier now than when I was younger.”

How will this discovery impact future research?

We believe that future research should continue to explore the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and technology use and attitudes toward technology. Better integration between design and user input could not only increase older adults’ positive attitudes and acceptance of technology, but also allow for the development of interventions to increase older adults’ positive self-perceptions of aging. Community-based programs could be developed that incorporate active engagement with technology. Future research should also explore older adults’ needs for the technology they choose to use at home.

How do you see the role of robots in further improving the quality of life for older people in the future?

As robotics advances in both technology and software, I believe robots can become companions in the elderly’s homes, providing support as needed. The quality of life of the elderly can be enhanced by increasing their autonomy and independence, encouraging healthy lifestyles, connecting with friends and communities, and asking for help when needed, all of which can be made possible through advanced robotics.

On the other hand, researchers and technology developers should be mindful of the negative impacts or misuse of technology and take responsibility for developing new technologies that respect users and gain their trust.

Were there any unexpected findings or insights from your research that challenge common stereotypes or perceptions about older adults’ engagement with technology?

One prominent stereotype about aging centers on older people’s inability to handle various forms of technology. Because we used a less expensive laboratory robot with self-assembling sensors in our research project, we were unsure whether participants would enjoy being around the robot or what they would initially think of our early technology.

To our surprise, participants were very supportive and cooperative, volunteering their time to contribute to the technology development. They were also curious about what the robot could do and were eager to learn more about how the technology could help them.

I think we can gain acceptance and trust among older adults in the use of robotics if it is properly developed with user needs and experience in mind.

Reviewing Editor: Peng Jing