Mediating Personal Relationships with Robotic Pets for Fostering Human-Human Interaction of Older Adults

Abstract

Good human relationships are important for us to have a happy life and maintain our well-being. Otherwise, we will be at risk of experiencing loneliness or depression. In human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), robotic systems offer nuanced approaches to foster human connection, providing interaction beyond the traditional mediums that smartphones and computers offer. However, many existing studies primarily focus on the human-robot relationships that older adults form directly with robotic pets rather than exploring how these robotic pets can enhance ...