Abstract Elderly care is a key area of interest in social robotics, yet research on the practical applications and acceptance of such robots in real-world group settings remains limited. In this study, we use an ethorobotic approach to explore the potential of a socially assistive robot (SAR) to elicit interactive behaviours, such as orienting, approaching, withdrawing, touching, talking, and smiling, from elderly residents and other non-resident individuals in a nursing home. The elderly residents demonstrated high levels of acceptance and curiosity toward the robot, whereas most non-resident staff tended to ignore it. Residents showed significantly more interest in the robot than non-residents, and both groups maintained a consistent level of interaction over the 11-day observation period. These exploratory observations suggest that it is indeed possible to design socially interactive robots capable of sustaining long-term engagement with elderly individuals.
Shaikh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.