As robots that help with daily activities enter senior living, new research is shedding light on which features make them most effective. In a recent study conducted at LeadingAge member Eaton Senior Communities, residents considered a robot equipped with artificial emotional intelligence to be the most likable. 

In the study, older adults interacted with two versions of Ryan, a robot by DreamFace Technologies. One Ryan was programmed to respond to residents’ emotions, based on inputs like facial expression and speech sentiment. The other version did not consider those inputs and relied on prepared scripts. While residents benefitted from interacting with both robots, the residents found the robot with artificial emotional intelligence to be more engaging.

“Artificial emotional intelligence could change senior users’ perceptions of social robots” summarizes the study, conducted by the University of Denver, DreamFace Technologies, and the University of Colorado.

To give older adults more independence, mental stimulation, and emotional support, “robots should be able to engage in meaningful social interactions, identifying the emotions of users and responding appropriately to them,” wrote Tech Xplore. “This could ultimately increase the users’ trust in the robots, while also promoting their emotional wellbeing.”

To learn more about robots in senior living, see “Food Services Group Pilots Robot” for previous Tech Time coverage.