Deploying social robots in museum settings: A quasi-systematic review exploring purpose and acceptability

Social robots are increasingly used within public spaces, including museum settings. This quasi-systematic review identifies and synthesizes the evidence on social robots that have recently been deployed in museum settings. It specifically focuses on their intended purpose, their acceptability and factors important for successful human–robot interaction in this setting. Four databases (PsycINFO, SCOPUS, ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore) were systematically searched to retrieve literature published within the last 10 years on human–robot interaction studies with social robots deployed in museum settings. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the studies, qualitative and quantitative findings were summarized. A total of 604 items were identified, of which 12 were included in the review. Robots in 11 studies were physical and 1 was an embodied conversational agent presented as a virtual robot. In 75% of the studies ( n = 9), the purpose of the robots was to act as museum guides, while in 17% ( n = 2) they entertained visitors and in 8% ( n = 1) the robot taught visitors in a museum outreach programme. Overall, many of the robots were found to be acceptable for use within museum settings. Three main themes for successful social human–robot interaction were evident across the findings: (1) facial expressions, (2) movement and (3) communication and speech. There is a great opportunity for social robots to be deployed within museum settings, as guides, educators, entertainers or a combination thereof. State-of-the-art methods have led to the development of museum robots that are more capable of social interaction; however, more work is required to develop speech capabilities that work in the ‘wild’. Future work should combine the factors that have been identified within this review to improve human–robot interaction.

User Requirements Analysis of an Embodied Conversational Agent for Coaching Older Adults to Choose Active and Healthy Ageing Behaviors during the Transition to Retirement: A Cross-National User Centered Design Study

Background: Retirement is recognized as a factor influencing the ageing process. Today, virtual health coaching systems can play a pivotal role in supporting older adults’ active and healthy ageing. This study wants to answer two research questions: (1) What are the user requirements of a virtual coach (VC) based on an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) for motivating older adults in transition to retirement to adopt a healthy lifestyle? (2) How could a VC address the active and healthy ageing dimensions, even during COVID-19 times? Methods: Two-wave focus-groups with 60 end-users aged 55 and over and 27 follow-up telephone interviews were carried out in Austria, Italy and the Netherlands in 2019–2020. Qualitative data were analysed by way of framework analysis. Results: End-users suggest the VC should motivate older workers and retirees to practice physical activity, maintain social contacts and emotional well-being. The ECA should be reactive, customizable, expressive, sympathetic, not directive nor patronizing, with a pleasant and motivating language. The COVID-19 outbreak increased the users’ need for functions boosting community relationships and promoting emotional well-being. Conclusions: the VC can address the active and healthy ageing paradigm by increasing the chances of doing low-cost healthy activities at any time and in any place.

Effectiveness and Acceptance of a Smartphone-Based Virtual Agent Screening for Alcohol and Tobacco Problems and Associated Risk Factors During COVID-19 Pandemic in the General Population

Background: During the current COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol, and tobacco are the most available substances for managing stress and can induce a risk of addiction. KANOPEE is a smartphone application available to the general population using an embodied conversational agent (ECA) to screen for experiences of problems with alcohol/tobacco use and to provide follow-up tools for brief intervention.Objectives: This study aimed to determine if the smartphone KANOPEE application could identify people at risk for alcohol and/or tobacco use disorders in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, to assess adherence to a 7-day follow-up use diary, and to evaluate trust and acceptance of the application.Methods: The conversational agent, named Jeanne, interviewed participants about perceived problems with the use of alcohol and tobacco since the pandemic and explored risk for tobacco and alcohol use disorder with the five-item Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS-5) and “Cut Down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener” (CAGE) questionnaire and experience of craving for each substance. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to specify personalized associations with reporting a problem with alcohol/tobacco use; descriptive analysis reported the experience with the intervention and acceptance and trust in the application.Results: From April 22 to October 26, 2020, 1,588 French participants completed the KANOPEE interview, and 318 answered the acceptance and trust scales. Forty-two percent of tobacco users and 27% of alcohol users reported problem use since the pandemic. Positive screening with CDS-5 and CAGE and craving were associated with reported problem use (p < 0.0001). Lockdown period influenced alcohol (p < 0.0005) but not tobacco use (p > 0.05). Eighty-eight percent of users reported that KANOPEE was easy to use, and 82% found Jeanne to be trustworthy and credible.Conclusion: KANOPEE was able to screen for risk factors for substance use disorder (SUD) and was acceptable to users. Reporting craving and being at risk for SUD seem to be early markers to be identified. Alcohol problem use seems to be more reliant on contextual conditions such as confinement. This method is able to offer acceptable, brief, and early intervention with minimal delay for vulnerable people.

The Perspectives of Women and Their Health-Care Providers Regarding Using an ECA to Support Mode of Birth Decisions

This study used focus groups to assess the feasibility and acceptability of adapting an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) to support decision-making about mode of birth after previous cesarean. Twelve women with previous cesareans, and eight prenatal providers at an academic, tertiary-care medical center, viewed a prototype ECA and were asked to share feedback on the potential role in helping women prepare for decision-making. Both groups felt that although it was somewhat “robot-like,” the ECA could provide easy access to information for patients and could augment the visit with providers. Future work is needed to improve ECA visual appeal and clarify the role and timing for utilization of decision aids using ECA technology to enhance the shared decision-making process.

Multilingual Conversational Systems to Drive the Collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Integration into Clinical Workflows

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and their use in the clinical workflow can improve cancer survivors’ outcomes and quality of life. However, there are several challenges regarding efficient collection of the patient-reported outcomes and their integration into the clinical workflow. Patient adherence and interoperability are recognized as main barriers. This work implements a cancer-related study which interconnects artificial intelligence (spoken language algorithms, conversational intelligence) and natural sciences (embodied conversational agents) to create an omni-comprehensive system enabling symmetric computer-mediated interaction. Its goal is to collect patient information and integrate it into clinical routine as digital patient resources (the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources). To further increase convenience and simplicity of the data collection, a multimodal sensing network is delivered. In this paper, we introduce the main components of the system, including the mHealth application, the Open Health Connect platform, and algorithms to deliver speech enabled 3D embodied conversational agent to interact with the cancer survivors in five different languages. The system integrates cancer patients’ reported information as patient gathered health data into their digital clinical record. The value and impact of the integration will be further evaluated in the clinical study.

User requirements analysis of an Embodied Conversational Agent for coaching older adults to choose active and healthy ageing behaviors during the transition to retirement: a cross-national User Centered Design study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The ageing worldwide population involves an increase of multiple chronic diseases and the consequent demand for healthcare services by older people, thus challenging the healthcare systems’ sustainability and older people’s quality of life. In order to postpone older adults’ need for care, the promotion of healthy ageing is a key action that can be favored today by embodied conversational agents. Nevertheless, the role and benefit of this technology is still relatively ignored by the literature, especially when being applied to older workers and new retirees, and from a preventive perspective. OBJECTIVE This study wants to answer two research questions: 1) What are the user requirements of a virtual coaching based on an Embodied Conversational Agent for motivating older adults in transition to retirement to adopt a healthy lifestyle? 2) How could a virtual coaching system address the active and healthy ageing dimensions, especially during COVID-19 times? METHODS To answer the questions above, according to the User Centered Design approach, two-wave cross-national focus-groups with 60 end-users aged 55 and over and follow-up telephone interviews to 27 end-users were carried out in Austria, Italy and the Netherland between Spring 2019 and January 2021. Qualitative data were analysed through the Framework Analysis in order to highlight cross-country commonalities and national peculiarities. RESULTS End-users suggest the virtual coach motivates older workers and retirees to practice physical activity, maintain social contacts and provide them with practical activities to improve their mental and emotional well-being. It can be used every day based on users’ time, mood, family relationships and social condition. The embodied conversational agent should be reactive, customizable, expected to be expressive, sympathetic, not directive nor patronizing and its language should be appropriate, pleasant and motivating. The COVID-19 outbreak accelerated the acceptance of the system by increasing the users’ need for functions that boost community, physical and emotional well-being activities. CONCLUSIONS The study shows that the virtual coaching system can be one of the solutions that can best address the active and healthy ageing dimensions by suggesting activities that can improve individuals’ physical activity, mental well-being and socialisation. especially in the current worldwide epidemiological situation. Nevertheless, to be fully effective, it has to have a pleasant appearance and voice to motivate users without being patronising nor directive. Moreover, it should be customisable, yet non stigmatising, and should be able to adapt to the ageing process and to the evolution of the retirement transition.