The Ins and Outs of Socially Assistive Robots: Sensors and Behaviors of a Therapeutic Robot for Depression Management

Using socially assistive robots (SARs) as specialized companions for those living with depression to manage symptoms provides a unique opportunity for exploration of robotic systems as comfort objects. Moreover, the robotic components allow for specialized behavioral responses to particular stimuli, as preferred by the user. We have conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 participants about the zoomorphic robot’s Therabot™ desired behaviors and focus groups with five additional participants regarding the preferred sensors within the Therabot™ system. In this paper, using the data from interviews and focus groups, we explore SAR input and output for depression management. While participants overall expected the robot to respond in much similar ways as a well-trained service animal, they expressed interest in the robot understanding unique information about the environment and the user, such as when the user might need interaction.