Authors:
Margo van Kemenade
;
Elly A. Konijn
and
Johan Hoorn
Affiliation:
VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands
Keyword(s):
Healthcare Robots, Moral Concerns, Professional Caregivers, Ageing, Affective Bonding.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Affective Computing
;
Biomedical Engineering
;
Development of Assistive Technology
;
Evaluation and Use of Healthcare IT
;
Health Information Systems
;
ICT, Ageing and Disability
Abstract:
Ageing in Europe comes more rapidly than many realize: In about 10 years, one fifth of the population will
be 65+ with a further increase of 70% in the next 25 years. At the same time, healthcare is under extreme
pressure due to budget cuts, limited resources and personnel together with increased demands. Robots may
fulfill important tasks in this respect. Our research focuses on social robots to support tasks requiring
interpersonal communication. Many moral concerns and objections are raised, however, in particular among
care professionals. To examine the issue, we report on 1) a qualitative study among professional caregivers
and 2) a documentary portraying healthy elderly meeting with Hanson’s Robokind “Alice”. Alice is under
development in our lab, supplying her with abilities for emotional responses. The results show that the
moral concerns are not in line with the benefits that the social robots appear to have for the lonely elderly.
Our conclusion posits that new robot techno
logy may not dehumanize care but rather may bring humanness
back into professional health care.
(More)