探討機器人陪伴高齡者之日常生活

Abstract

如今世界各國高齡人口快速的成長，皆面臨人口高齡化的社會現象，而台灣的高齡人口在近幾年內不僅在比例上快速成長，其成長速度僅次於日本，在先進國家中，台灣人口老化的速度亦為全世界第二名。為了增進高齡者的生活品質，許多世界各國的組織積極投入機器人的研究與發展以提供高齡者生活上之協助，正在發展中台灣機器人產業應針對社會的需求朝向不同性質的機器人發展，以及考慮與歐美國家的區別性。

本研究的目的是希望了解台灣高齡者對於陪伴機器人的態度及意見，並提供陪伴性質機器人的設計規範以協助未來機器人之設計與發展。此外，希望透過本研究能促進台灣機器人產業的發展。研究工作進行了四個階段的調查以及相關文獻的分析，使用probe這項工具透過受測者的自我觀察對高齡者的生活進行初步的探測，接著透過深度訪談獲得高齡者的生活需求及產品使用經驗，採用Perceptive Sorting 方法詢問高齡者對機器人外觀的意見，最後，透過問卷以進行高齡者對陪伴機器人的功能需求度調查。

綜合本研究發現以及其他相關研究的貢獻，此研究提出了三項設計規範以提供給機器人設計師作為設計參考：（一） 與陪伴機器人的互動方式應是低認知負載（ Interaction with companion robots must be low cognitive load）； （二）陪伴機器人的外觀必須是高齡者所熟悉的外型（Companion robots for elderly people must have familiar appearance）；（三） 陪伴機器人必須鼓勵高齡者參與社會互動並增進互動的品質（Companion robots must encourage and enhance social interaction among elderly people），本研究希望能了解高齡者的生活需求及對於機器人的態度，以提供設計師及其他研究者參考資訊及設計建議。

The elderly population has grown rapidly in the past decades, and the problems of aging society have been gradually emphasized by governments all over the world. Many organizations have devoted to the research and development of robot companion for the elderly. The study aims to explore Taiwanese elderly people’s needs and attitudes toward a robot companion, and provide design guidelines for the developing Taiwanese robot industry.

An investigation consisting of four user research methods, namely, probes, in-depth interview, perceptive sorting exercise and questionnaire, was conducted in this study. The probe method was used to directly explore elderly people’s daily life, and an in-depth interview was used to further investigate their needs in different aspects and their preference of home appliance. A perceptive sorting exercise was used to understand the elderly people’s perceptions and attitudes towards the idea of home robot. Furthermore, questionnaire was used to acquire information about the expected features and capabilities in robot companion.

Finally, findings in this investigation and related literature survey were organized to propose design guidelines for the development of robot companion for elderly people in Taiwan: (1) interaction with companion robots must be low cognitive load, (2) companion robots for elderly people must have familiar appearance, and (3) companion robots must encourage and enhance social interaction among elderly people.