Walking Outdoor with a Zoomorphic Mobile Robot: Exploration of Robot-Assisted Physical Activities for Older Adults

In the field of human-robot interaction (HRI), assistive robots have been integrated to promote social interactions and physically active lifestyles in the wellness context of eldercare. Despite their potential benefits, the current applications of assistive robots are constrained by limited usage environments and their predefined roles. Our research aims to explore older adults' perceptions of assistive robots and approaches for delivering motivational physical activities by integrating, Spot, a zoomorphic mobile robot, as an outdoor walking guide. We conducted a participatory design study at a Finnish nursing home, consisting of three phases: the co-design workshop, the conceptual design, and the field study. This qualitative research collected data through observations and interviews. The findings report positive attitudes and natural social interactions among older adults during the outdoor physical activities assisted by the Spot robot. Based on these findings, we present a set of design implications for wellness robots in eldercare, including robot roles and tasks, methods for introducing robot literacy, and approaches to presenting robotic solutions to older adults.