Living With a Telepresence Robot: Results From a Field-Trial

Population around Europe is getting older; many older adults would like to live independently in their homes as long as possible. Personalized integrated care plan strategies envisage the possibility of home care services for those people at risk of frailty. In this context, the robot could empower people to live independently. In the presented work, 20 frail older adults were asked to live with a telepresence robot (i.e., Double Robot), through which the formal caregiver could remotely visit them. A total of 284 days of field-test trial was evaluated with a proposed framework that explores several domains, including system reliability, maintainability, system acceptance, user attitude, and user experiences. At the end of the experimentation, the system was used for 4241 mins accomplishing 151 telepresence services, and the results underline optimal system reliability and high user experience. Based on the collected feedback, the proposed telepresence robot can be exploited into integrated care services. The evaluation of a system should envisage a complex, multidisciplinary, and holistic approach that may influence the success or failure of the robot's purpose if not properly analyzed during the evaluation and design phase.