FOCUS:
Assistive Robotics · Mental Health · Aging
ROLE:
UX Researcher
DELIVERABLES:
Stakeholder Recommendations
CONTEXT:
In-Home Interviews · Co-Design Workshops
Co-Creating Future Assistive Robots with Older Adults and Clinicians
A participatory design approach to engaging older adults with depression and mental health clinicians in the design of assistive in-home robots.
Impact at a Glance
How might we meaningfully engage older adults with depression as design partners in the development of assistive in-home robots? And how might insights from clinical stakeholders help shape practical, real-world solutions that support independence, dignity, and everyday use?
UX Researcher
I conducted participant interviews, supported workshop facilitation, and contributed to qualitative data collection and analysis. I transcribed and coded sessions with older adults and clinicians, and helped synthesize insights to inform future development of socially assistive home robots.
In-home interviews were conducted with older adults (aged 55+) who had both a depression diagnosis and a co-occurring physical illness, followed by four participatory workshops per cohort. The workshops spanned concept exposure (videos/demos), collaborative sketching, context-based design grounded in participants’ own home layouts, and low-tech interaction with robot sensors and outputs. Clinicians were engaged separately to validate therapeutic relevance and identify functional opportunities. This process was a replication Of a study that was performed two years earlier with a demographically distinct group, in order to explore transferability and challenges of replication in participatory design.
Trust and imagination require time
Participants needed multi-session exposure and structured activities to shift from “consumers” to co-creators of robotic solutions.
Familiarity shaped comfort
Technology presented in the form of friendly, embodied agents (vs. mechanical parts) generated more openness and fewer privacy concerns.
Context grounded creativity
Home layout sketches helped participants envision how and where a robot could support them, making ideas more specific and actionable.
Clinical stakeholder input uncovered hidden opportunities
Clinicians emphasized underexplored uses like hospitalization prevention, anomaly detection, and sleep tracking, contributions not identified by end users.
Participatory design isn't easily replicable
Even with an identical structure, different cohorts brought unique needs and dynamics, suggesting PD processes must flex to context.
Participatory methods demand emotional attunement
Designing with older adults experiencing depression required more than creative prompts. It required trust, patience, and sensitivity to pacing. Supporting emotional safety was foundational to participation.
Repetition and ritual enable co-creation
Multi-session engagement was crucial in helping participants shift from hesitant observers to active design contributors. In future work, I’d treat exposure and scaffolding as core design elements, not just research logistics.
Stakeholder alignment is a systems challenge
Meaningful innovation in this space means obtaining insights from varied stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, clinicians , insurance providers) that have the power to approve of emerging technology's use or long-term in clinical applications.
