Next Steps for Social Robotics in an Aging World

Scientists and engineers are exploring technological solutions to place inside people's homes to solve challenges associated with rising healthcare needs and an aging population. This trend in technology is known informally as smart living. The technologies being investigated may hold a promising future for the elderly population, allowing them to continue to live inside their home while aging. However, when novel devices are introduced to support aging in place, designs often fail to consider the struggles older individuals face in their everyday lives. Excluding such considerations means continuing to develop technologies that do not truly serve the needs of older adults. Earth is projected to be home to 9.3 billion people by 2050, 2 billion of which are likely to be 65 or older [1]. Therefore, there is a pronounced need for a human-centered approach to appropriately address the needs, wants, opinions, behaviors, and psychosocial aspects of older adults desiring to age in place.