Sociable robot systems for real-world problems

Human-robot interaction research is maturing to the point where we can begin to build systems that interact with people in their daily lives and provide support for particular needs. We propose that sociable robot systems are systems that comprise a sociable robot, other technological devices, methods for interaction, and methods for relationship creation and maintenance. These systems can be designed as solutions to address particular needs such as health care or behavior change goals. We discuss the social support benefits of creating a relationship between a person and a robot and offer ideas for how this might be done. A system that is currently under development in our lab to help obese patients who have recently lost weight maintain their target weight is presented as an example of this kind of sociable robot system.