Developing social robots for aging populations: A literature review of recent academic sources

The perception of aging populations is a major factor driving the social robot development movement. A growing body of research reflects the expanding interest in social robots. This paper synthesizes research on the development of social robots with a literature review of academic articles with pub...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociology compass 2018-06, Vol.12 (6), p.n/a
Main Authors: Pedersen, Isabel, Reid, Samantha, Aspevig, Kristen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Caregivers
Caregiving
Citizens
Compassion
Ethics
Friendship
Geriatrics
Gerontology
Literature reviews
Medical treatment
Medicine
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health services
Physical therapy
Populations
Privacy
Reviews
Robots
Social participation
Social research
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Summary:The perception of aging populations is a major factor driving the social robot development movement. A growing body of research reflects the expanding interest in social robots. This paper synthesizes research on the development of social robots with a literature review of academic articles with publication dates ranging from 2006 to 2017. The review is divided into three themes: (a) robots as an aid in treatment; (b) robots as social assistants and home companions; and (c) robots as custodial caregivers that are viewed in terms of ethical implications. This paper outlines the issues surrounding social, commitment, assistive, and companion robots for use in medical treatment, mental health therapy, physiotherapy, care facilities, and private homes. It describes some of the ethical concerns raised by researchers and media, including questions of control, privacy, consent, and the issue of simulated versus human compassion in caregiving. The research also points out that a rhetoric of urgency concerning aging populations drives the development of robots, which frames citizens who will benefit from robots in reductive ways. We argue that the contribution of humanities and social science research, including age studies and critical gerontology, should be better integrated with discourses of social robot development, largely from technical fields.
ISSN:1751-9020
1751-9020
DOI:10.1111/soc4.12585