A Pet-like Socially-Assistive Robot to Support Health and Well-Being

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There is growing evidence that social robots able to interact with people through sound and touch, can help individuals cope with stress and anxiety. As robots are improved, they may also be able to provide other forms of social support for people in need of care, such as reducing the experience of depression and social isolation. This project builds on evidence that interacting with a suitably-designed pet-like robot can have some of the calming and supportive effects of interacting with a companion animal. We will work with multiple stakeholders in the healthcare and education sectors to understand how social robots could be used to support well-being in their settings, and how the robot's behaviour can be best adapted to assist people in specific scenarios. For example, we will explore how children could interact with a robot while they are waiting for a procedure such as a blood test or an operation, and how a social robot could operate as part of pastoral care in schools as a form of "classroom pet". Longer-term applications such as use of robots with older adults in residential care will also be explored. Outcomes of the project will include (i) an improved understanding of the use of social robots to promote health and well-being, (ii) a prototype pet-like robot for therapy and healthcare applications, and (iii) plans for efficacy studies and the production and marketing of a new UK-designed social robot.