Enhancing Dementia Care with Social Robot-Guided Music Interventions

To address the need for dementia care, we developed a novel social robot-guided music intervention system named the Music intervention Using Socially Engaging robotics (MUSE). Utilizing the state-of-the-art Pepper robot, this system is an innovative fusion of music therapy and advanced human-robot interaction techniques. The system seeks to provide care that provides benefits to the overall well-being of persons with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (PwADRD) while also providing relief to overburdened caregivers. To assess user acceptance and areas of improvement of the MUSE system, we conducted a series of workshops with PwADRD. Participants were guided through a MUSE session by the social robot and then asked to provide their feedback on the system through a survey and semi-structured interview. Following the workshops, it was found that PwADRD were very accepting of the MUSE system, both in terms of the social robot, the musical activities, and applications. Several areas of possible improvement were also identified, including system volume and visibility. This research not only demonstrates promising user acceptance but also paves the way for a new era in therapeutic interventions, blending technology and music therapy in an unprecedented manner.