Acceptance and use of a social robot by elderly users in a domestic environment

The study presented in this article aims to improve our understanding of how people use zoomorphic robots in a health related setting in their domestic environments in general and, in particular, whether people are able to build (long- term) relationships with these robots. The influences of social and hedonic factors were examined, in addition to the normally studied utilitarian factors of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Three elderly participants interacted with the Nabaztag, a zoomorphic robot, for 10 days to improve their overall health condition. Hedonic factors were not found to be important for the acceptance of the Nabaztag. However, these factors seemed to be important for building a relationship with the Nabaztag. Social factors were found to be important for the acceptance of robots, but not for building a relationship with the Nabaztag. The results yielded some interesting findings that need more study: (1) the relationship between the place of the Nabaztag and acceptance and use, (2) the relationship between naming the Nabaztag and building a relationship with it and (3) the relationship between using verbal/non-verbal communication and building a relationship with it.