Humanoid robots in the care of older persons: a scoping review

The aim was to examine how humanoid robots have been used in the care of older persons and identify possible benefits and challenges associated with such use from older persons’ points of view. The study was a scoping review based on Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. To identify peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature, a systematic search of the PubMed, Cinahl and Google Scholar electronic databases was conducted for studies published between 2013 and 2019. The PRISMA-ScR guidelines have served as a guideline. A total of 12 studies were included and resulted in four main categories related to how humanoid robots have been used in care of older persons (domain of use): Supports everyday life, Provides interaction, Facilitates cognitive training and Facilitates physical training. Potential for humanoid robots to be accepted as companions for older persons was seen, but technical issues, such as humanoid robots’ slow response time or errors, emerged as key challenges. Older persons’ perceived enjoyment of using a humanoid robot might also decrease over time. Validated measurements to estimate the effectiveness of using humanoid robots in the care of older persons are needed.