Requirements of People with Disabilities and Caregivers for Robotics: A Case Study

Robotics offers new solutions for digital customer interaction. Social robots can be used in applications such as customer support, guiding people to a location on company premises, or entertainment and education. An emerging area of research is the application in community facilities for people with disabilities. Such facilities face a shortage of skilled workers that could be addressed by robotics. In this work, the application of social and collaborative robots in care facilities and workshops for the disabled is presented by providing a requirements analysis. The use of the humanoid robot Pepper in assisted living was tested and subsequently evaluated in interviews with caregivers who initiated and observed the interaction between the group and the robot. Additionally, robotic applications in assisted work were assessed, resulting in a divergence from the industrial use of robots. A comparative overview with recent literature is presented. The connection between the community home and the workshop raised the question of whether the use of different robots in both places could lead to conflicts.