Effectiveness of Care Robots, and the Intermediaries’ Role between and among Care Robots and Older Adults

The Japanese government advances and directs popularizing human welfare technologies including care robots (CRs) irrespective of care in institutions or homes. However, current CRs haven't competence/function thereby necessitating human assistance, such as the skills of the intermediary as healthcare providers to operate the functionalities of these CRs. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of CRs and the roles of human intermediaries in human care. Evaluation of the effects of CRs and intermediary activities was done using heart rate variability data during the interactions between the CR and the older adults. The results of the observational analysis complemented with information from field notes data showed that interactions with CR were often not spontaneous and that mediations from human staff were integral to the successful interactions between older adults and CRs. It was also observed that individual intermediaries engaged in many ways with the CR based on patient needs.