IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i9p4538-d542844.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Development Issues of Healthcare Robots: Compassionate Communication for Older Adults with Dementia

Author

Listed:
  • Tetsuya Tanioka

    (Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8509, Japan
    Anne Boykin Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA)

  • Tomoya Yokotani

    (Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8509, Japan)

  • Ryuichi Tanioka

    (Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8509, Japan)

  • Feni Betriana

    (Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8509, Japan)

  • Kazuyuki Matsumoto

    (Graduate School of Engineering, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan)

  • Rozzano Locsin

    (Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8509, Japan
    Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA)

  • Yueren Zhao

    (Department of Psychiatry, Fujita Health University, Aichi 470-1192, Japan)

  • Kyoko Osaka

    (Department of Nursing, Nursing Course of Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi 783-8505, Japan)

  • Misao Miyagawa

    (Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Welfare, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan)

  • Savina Schoenhofer

    (Anne Boykin Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA)

Abstract

Although progress is being made in affective computing, issues remain in enabling the effective expression of compassionate communication by healthcare robots. Identifying, describing and reconciling these concerns are important in order to provide quality contemporary healthcare for older adults with dementia. The purpose of this case study was to explore the development issues of healthcare robots in expressing compassionate communication for older adults with dementia. An exploratory descriptive case study was conducted with the Pepper robot and older adults with dementia using high-tech digital cameras to document significant communication proceedings that occurred during the activities. Data were collected in December 2020. The application program for an intentional conversation using Pepper was jointly developed by Tanioka’s team and the Xing Company, allowing Pepper’s words and head movements to be remotely controlled. The analysis of the results revealed four development issues, namely, (1) accurate sensing behavior for “listening” to voices appropriately and accurately interacting with subjects; (2) inefficiency in “listening” and “gaze” activities; (3) fidelity of behavioral responses; and (4) deficiency in natural language processing AI development, i.e., the ability to respond actively to situations that were not pre-programmed by the developer. Conversational engagements between the Pepper robot and patients with dementia illustrated a practical usage of technologies with artificial intelligence and natural language processing. The development issues found in this study require reconciliation in order to enhance the potential for healthcare robot engagement in compassionate communication in the care of older adults with dementia.

Suggested Citation

  • Tetsuya Tanioka & Tomoya Yokotani & Ryuichi Tanioka & Feni Betriana & Kazuyuki Matsumoto & Rozzano Locsin & Yueren Zhao & Kyoko Osaka & Misao Miyagawa & Savina Schoenhofer, 2021. "Development Issues of Healthcare Robots: Compassionate Communication for Older Adults with Dementia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-11, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4538-:d:542844
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/9/4538/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/9/4538/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hoang Nguyen & Daniel Terry & Hoang Phan & James Vickers & Fran McInerney, 2019. "Communication training and its effects on carer and care‐receiver outcomes in dementia settings: A systematic review," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(7-8), pages 1050-1069, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tetsuya Tanioka & Rozzano C. Locsin & Feni Betriana & Yoshihiro Kai & Kyoko Osaka & Elizabeth Baua & Savina Schoenhofer, 2021. "Intentional Observational Clinical Research Design: Innovative Design for Complex Clinical Research Using Advanced Technology," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Lucie Vidovićová & Tereza Menšíková, 2023. "Materiality, Corporeality, and Relationality in Older Human–Robot Interaction (OHRI)," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4538-:d:542844. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.