Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors
For older adults, regular exercises can provide both physical and mental benefits, increase their independence, and reduce the risks of diseases associated with aging. However, only a small portion of older adults regularly engage in physical activity. Therefore, it is important to promote exercise...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Robotics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/12/1/9 |
| _version_ | 1797618383740469248 |
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| author | Mingyang Shao Michael Pham-Hung Silas Franco Dos Reis Alves Matt Snyder Kasra Eshaghi Beno Benhabib Goldie Nejat |
| author_facet | Mingyang Shao Michael Pham-Hung Silas Franco Dos Reis Alves Matt Snyder Kasra Eshaghi Beno Benhabib Goldie Nejat |
| author_sort | Mingyang Shao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For older adults, regular exercises can provide both physical and mental benefits, increase their independence, and reduce the risks of diseases associated with aging. However, only a small portion of older adults regularly engage in physical activity. Therefore, it is important to promote exercise among older adults to help maintain overall health. In this paper, we present the first exploratory long-term human–robot interaction (HRI) study conducted at a local long-term care facility to investigate the benefits of one-on-one and group exercise interactions with an autonomous socially assistive robot and older adults. To provide targeted facilitation, our robot utilizes a unique emotion model that can adapt its assistive behaviors to users’ affect and track their progress towards exercise goals through repeated sessions using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), while also monitoring heart rate to prevent overexertion. Results of the study show that users had positive valence and high engagement towards the robot and were able to maintain their exercise performance throughout the study. Questionnaire results showed high robot acceptance for both types of interactions. However, users in the one-on-one sessions perceived the robot as more sociable and intelligent, and had more positive perception of the robot’s appearance and movements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:12:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cba924df962f4f13b708354c7e2cad31 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-6581 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:12:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Robotics |
| spelling | doaj.art-cba924df962f4f13b708354c7e2cad312023-11-16T23:05:17ZengMDPI AGRobotics2218-65812023-01-01121910.3390/robotics12010009Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and SeniorsMingyang Shao0Michael Pham-Hung1Silas Franco Dos Reis Alves2Matt Snyder3Kasra Eshaghi4Beno Benhabib5Goldie Nejat6Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, CanadaAutonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, CanadaAutonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, CanadaYee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, 5510 Mavis Rd., Mississauga, ON L5V 2X5, CanadaAutonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, CanadaAutonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, CanadaAutonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, CanadaFor older adults, regular exercises can provide both physical and mental benefits, increase their independence, and reduce the risks of diseases associated with aging. However, only a small portion of older adults regularly engage in physical activity. Therefore, it is important to promote exercise among older adults to help maintain overall health. In this paper, we present the first exploratory long-term human–robot interaction (HRI) study conducted at a local long-term care facility to investigate the benefits of one-on-one and group exercise interactions with an autonomous socially assistive robot and older adults. To provide targeted facilitation, our robot utilizes a unique emotion model that can adapt its assistive behaviors to users’ affect and track their progress towards exercise goals through repeated sessions using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), while also monitoring heart rate to prevent overexertion. Results of the study show that users had positive valence and high engagement towards the robot and were able to maintain their exercise performance throughout the study. Questionnaire results showed high robot acceptance for both types of interactions. However, users in the one-on-one sessions perceived the robot as more sociable and intelligent, and had more positive perception of the robot’s appearance and movements.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/12/1/9autonomous exercise facilitationhuman–robot interactionintelligent robotsocial roboticsolder adultslong-term study |
| spellingShingle | Mingyang Shao Michael Pham-Hung Silas Franco Dos Reis Alves Matt Snyder Kasra Eshaghi Beno Benhabib Goldie Nejat Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors Robotics autonomous exercise facilitation human–robot interaction intelligent robot social robotics older adults long-term study |
| title | Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors |
| title_full | Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors |
| title_fullStr | Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors |
| title_short | Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors |
| title_sort | long term exercise assistance group and one on one interactions between a social robot and seniors |
| topic | autonomous exercise facilitation human–robot interaction intelligent robot social robotics older adults long-term study |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/12/1/9 |
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