Co-Designing Socially Assistive Robotics to Support People in Later Life

Abstract

Social care faces growing challenges associated with population ageing, including rising demand for support, increasing caregiver workload, and the need to preserve older adults’ independence, wellbeing, and dignity. Socially assistive robots (SARs) offer opportunities to complement existing care by supporting Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), assisting therapeutic interventions, and enabling more personalised and dignified care.

We co-designed two complementary robotic technologies with stakeholders, including older adults, care professionals, and family members, to identify needs, define design requirements, and refine system functionality through discussions and prototype-based activities to support older adults in later life. The first is a smart walker that integrates mobility assistance with interactive and safety-related functions to support ADLs. The second is an AI-driven robot-assisted reminiscence system that uses different types of photographs to support memory recall, conversation, and social interaction. Both technologies were subsequently evaluated in real-world care and home environments to examine their usability and interaction.

Together, these projects demonstrate how co-designed SARs can support rather than replace caregivers while addressing both the physical and cognitive aspects of care. Future work will explore greater personalisation, adaptive interaction, integration into care practice, and longitudinal evaluation of sustained usability, acceptance, and practical value.

Biography

Carlos Cifuentes is Professor of Human-Centred Robotics and AI at Bristol Robotics Laboratory (UWE Bristol) and Deputy Director of the £13.4M UK-funded VIVO Hub. With over 15 years of experience, he has led multidisciplinary research in rehabilitation, assistive robotics, human augmentation, and AI for healthcare. His work focuses on human-centred technologies that improve health, wellbeing, and quality of life, addressing challenges including cardiovascular and neurological conditions, dementia, healthy ageing, musculoskeletal disorders, and neurodiversity. He has authored over 200 scientific publications and serves as an Associate Editor for several leading robotics journals and conferences, including IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, ICRA, and IROS.