As staffing shortages at nursing care facilities become more serious, “nursing care robots” to assist with tasks are attracting attention, and various research and development efforts are already underway. However, there are still many cases where they cannot be smoothly applied and introduced due to each site’s circumstances or challenges. Furthermore, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become difficult for multiple stakeholders to enter the site itself. This recipe makes it easier to remotely conduct demonstration experiments and usage research for introducing and applying care robots in such environments, thereby supporting activities to promote the increased use of the technology.
Research on the Use of Nursing Care Robots
Minimizing entry into nursing care sites through remote surveys
- Keywords
- Nursing Care, Well-being
Why Choose CoMADO
- Verify functionality and identify any issues through demonstration tests and observation of the use of the care robot at a nursing care facility
- Reduce pressure on care recipients by minimizing entry to the site
Suitable for
- Those involved in the development and research of nursing care robots
- Those who wish to conduct demonstration tests or research in environments where access is restricted
- Those who want to conduct research and analysis from an expert’s point of view at a site that is difficult to visit in person.
Program
In this program, one presenter will travel to an actual nursing care site to observe and report, via CoMADO, whether a care robot intended for use at that site can perform as expected. Other participants will check the situation and communicate with the presenter, pointing out areas of concern about the robot’s movements and surroundings. Discover issues for better application to the site, such as whether users can use the robot without any strain and whether any unexpected situations are occurring.
- Typical Duration
- About 120 minutes
- Typical # of Participants
- 3 to 6 people
- Equipment
- CoMADO room, Miro board, Internet, stabilizer (for presenter), smartphone, PC
Workflow
01
15 min.
Check the objectives and procedures
- Confirm the purpose and procedures for conducting this research with all parties involved, including contributors from the caregiving field.
02
60 min.
Observe the use of care robots
- Participants identify challenges by pointing and asking questions to the presenter whenever needed
- Ask the care robot users to perform specific tasks and observe them as necessary to confirm the functionality of the robot
- If specific assessment criteria are set, evaluate each item
03
45 min.
Look back and confirm tasks
- The presenter and all participants review the results recorded on Miro, and group and organize the tasks
- Discuss concrete actions to be taken shortly based on the organized tasks
Author
As a service designer, he has been extensively involved in the planning and execution of projects related to the new development and improvement of various clients’ businesses and services. He has also practiced user research and analysis training sessions and facilitated many co-creation workshops.
Agency: Concent, Inc.
Comment
When conducting a full-scale demonstration test of a care robot, more detailed planning and preparation may be necessary, but I thought using CoMADO would make it easier to conduct on-site research. I have devised this method focused on observing the use of robots already introduced and applied in the frontline. I would be pleased if this method could help the adoption of nursing-care robots.
Tips & Tricks
Make sure everyone is aware of what the research is to do and its purpose beforehand. If you have a hypothesis you wish to test, it will be easier to proceed smoothly by aligning your understanding of the research process, including the background and history of the study.
When observing the daily use of the nursing care robot, be careful to avoid creating as much tension as possible in the field and among the users.
