Long-Term Exercise Assistance: Group and One-on-One Interactions between a Social Robot and Seniors
Mingyang Shao,
Michael Pham-Hung,
Silas Franco Dos Reis Alves,
Matt Snyder,
Kasra Eshaghi,
Beno Benhabib,
Goldie Nejat
Affiliations
Mingyang Shao
Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
Michael Pham-Hung
Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
Silas Franco Dos Reis Alves
Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
Matt Snyder
Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, 5510 Mavis Rd., Mississauga, ON L5V 2X5, Canada
Kasra Eshaghi
Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
Beno Benhabib
Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
Goldie Nejat
Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Rd., Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
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.
