Ageism, Power, and Gaps: Co-Designing Robots with Older Adults

Recent studies have highlighted the potential influence of ageism on researching and designing digital technologies and the importance of involving older adults using participatory approaches. Nevertheless, the perspectives of researchers and designers involved in designing socially assistive robots for older adults have not been investigated. Based on 18 semi-structured interviews, this study examines retrospectively the attitudes and perspectives of researchers and designers on how they involved older adults in co-designing socially assistive robots, whether ageism shaped the design process, and if and how involving older adults affected their initial perspectives and design trajectories. A constructivist grounded theory approach guided the analysis. Explicit and implicit ageist and interventionist perspectives identified throughout participants’ discourses seemed to shape the trajectory and outcome of designing and implementing socially assistive robots. Most participants emphasized the importance of involving older individuals in the design process. However, the extent to which they reported utilizing participatory methods was negotiable and varied considerably. Several gaps were identified regarding expectations, capabilities, and market forces. Notably, participants emphasized that the current state of socially assistive robots “is not there yet.” Co-designing with older adults was seen as both shaping the applications developed and enhancing understanding of older adults as users while also raising awareness of ageism. Researchers employing participatory methods appear to play a key role in bridging these gaps. This study calls for greater attention to how structural and individual ageism, along with power relations influence technological progress and how participatory approaches can help mitigate such biases.