Spain’s digital transformation is a great opportunity to generate high-value jobs, consolidate sustainable economic growth, strengthen the competitiveness of businesses, and improve citizens’ well-being in the medium to long term. The ultimate goal is to establish the future foundations of a sustainable digital society. In the current post-COVID-19 context, society has realized the vital need for human connection. In Spain, while a portion of the population normally uses technology for communication, banking, education, and entertainment, the elderly have found the digital transition challenging. According to a digital divide report by the UDP in July 2021, the number of internet users over 65 has increased to 59.5%.
However, during the pandemic, over a quarter of the elderly who don’t use the Internet reported that they couldn’t perform various tasks such as health, social, administrative, or banking management leading to a sense of societal exclusion.
Aim
The SoRoGAP project proposes the introduction of social robots in elderly people’s environments in order to reduce the digital gap and increase the time they stay at home by facilitating communication with their relatives and carers and encouraging remote monitoring. These robots, easier for the elderly to interact with than current smart devices such as smartphones or tablets, would promote digital inclusion for the elderly.
Social robots are designed to interact naturally with people. Specifically, in this project, robots are designed to interact with the elderly, but it’s important to remember that the elderly require significant motivation and learning to achieve short and medium-term objectives. One of the key challenges in social robotics is ensuring that robots form a strong connection with users and are perceived as highly useful. So far, few social robots have achieved widespread daily use compared to other smart devices like phones, tablets, or watches.
One aspect to consider is that one of the challenges the elderly face is the change of habits that leads them to stop performing tasks that made them feel valuable. This could negatively impact their self-esteem. Social robots can be a tool to help the elderly feel useful again. For example, the robot could request the performance of small tasks related to its care, simulating that it has certain needs that can only be met with the elder’s assistance. Maintaining social connections is equally important.
This project views social robots as tools to help the elderly, relatives, and caregivers, focusing on the older individuals’ needs. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary. We are collaborating with the Comprehensive Sectoral Services Association for the Elderly (ASISPA), which provides various services in the Community of Madrid. This collaboration allows us to work with geriatric experts and actual users and test in real scenarios.
Grant TED2021-132079B-I00
Funded by:
