WHAT SHOULD BE AUTOMIZED WHEN ROBOTS ENTER HOME CARE?
As part of inspiring increased knowledge about important issues regarding social uptake of robots, INBOTS Work package 6 gave a symposia at the 12th International Conference on Gerontechnology, ISG2020. The conference was sent online due to the Corona pandemic October 6-9, 2020. The symposia that was prerecorded can be watched here:
Five international scholars gave presentations on the potential of using robots in health care, especially elderly care: Moon Choi, Associate Professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Anna Spånt Enbuske, Research Officer at the Union Kommunal in Sweden, Sanna Kuoppamäki, PhD, Björn Fischer PhD student and Professor Britt Östlund from the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Sweden.
The presentations included a broad range of issues such as Asian and European initiatives to develop robots for elder care; the starting points for international policies, methods for developing robot solutions and whether robots today correspond to human needs and the values in elderly care. The symposia concluded that the developments are advanced but limited compared to robot use in industry. Studies show that the participation from care professionals is low when it comes to designing new robots but also shows that participation in the design process is perceived as meaningful for elderly patients and care receivers. The symposium concluded that critical perspectives are important in order not to create a “robot gap” between technical possibilities and people’s opportunities to experience them. Value of care is another starting point if robots are to contribute to improving both for those who work and those who are living in elderly care.