Table 2.

Basic features and content of sampled literature*

Author(s) Title Year	Journal From where? Type of robot	Objective	Study design	Method	Sample
Moyle W, Bramble M, Jones C, Murfield J Care staff perceptions of a social robot called PARO and a look-alike Plush Toy: a descriptive qualitative approach 2018	Aging Ment Health Australia PARO	To explore care staff perceptions of PARO and a look-alike non-robotic animal, including benefits and limitations in dementia care	Qualitative study	A descriptive qualitative approach, nested within a large cluster-randomized controlled trial Interviewed a subsample of 20 facility care staff, from nine long-term care facilities Thematic analysis of the data, which was inductive and data-driven, undertaken with the assistance of the qualitative software, ATLAS.ti®	Ten staff from each PARO and plush toy condition
Zuschnegg J, Paletta L, Fellner M, Steiner J, Pansy-Resch S, Jos A, Koini M, Prodromou D, Halfens RJG, Lohrmann C, Schüssler S Humanoid socially assistive robots in dementia care: a qualitative study about expectations of caregivers and dementia trainers 2021	Aging Ment Health Austria Humanoid socially assistive robots (HSAR)	To examine the expectations of informal caregivers, nurses, and dementia trainers regarding the support of (physical and psychosocial) human needs by humanoid social assistive robots in dementia care	Qualitative study	Study conducted with 11 homogeneous focus groups of informal caregivers, nurses and dementia trainers providing dementia care at home, in adult daycare centers, or in nursing homes A qualitative content analysis was performed using a concept- and data-driven coding frame	52 participants
Moyle W, Jones C, Murfield J, Thalib L, Beattie E, Shum D, Draper B Using a therapeutic companion robot for dementia symptoms in long-term care: reflections from a cluster-randomised controlled trial 2019	Aging Ment Health Australia PARO	To present issues that can inform the planning and delivery of psychosocial interventions with PARO in real long-term care settings, as well as future research endeavors into PARO’s effectiveness	A descriptive, qualitative design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial	A descriptive, qualitative design was employed, with participants selected from the PARO intervention arm of the cluster-randomized controlled trial to permit critical reflection and discussion of individual responses to PARO during the 10-week trial, with a view to informing clinical practice and future research	5 participants
Law M, Sutherland C, Ahn HS, MacDonald BA, Peri K, Johanson DL, Vajsakovic DS, Kerse N, Broadbent E Developing assistive robots for people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia: a qualitative study with older adults and experts in aged care 2019	BMJ Open New Zealand Silbot robot	To investigate the perceived usefulness of different daily-care activities for the robot, developed from previous research on needs	Qualitative study	Qualitative descriptive analysis using semi-structured interviews Two studies were conducted (a) In the first study, participants watched videos of a prototype robot performing daily-care activities; (b) in the second study, participants interacted with the robot itself	In study 1, participants were nine experts in aged care and nine older adults living in an elderly care facility In study 2, participants were 10 experts in elderly care observing 5 patients
Wangmo T, Lipps M, Kressig RW, Ienca M Ethical concerns with the use of intelligent assistive technology: findings from a qualitative study with professional stakeholders 2019	BMC Med Ethics Switzerland Intelligent assistive technology	To explore and assess the ethical issues that professional stakeholders perceive in the development and use of intelligent assistive technologies in elderly and dementia care	Qualitative study	Conducted a multi-site study involving semi-structured qualitative interviews with researchers and health professionals Analyzed the interview data using a descriptive thematic analysis to inductively explore relevant ethical challenges	20 participants
Casey D, Barrett E, Kovacic T, Sancarlo D, Ricciardi F, Murphy K, Koumpis A, Santorelli A, Gallagher N, Whelan S The perceptions of people with dementia and key stakeholders regarding the use and impact of the social robot MARIO 2020	Int J Environ Res Public Health Uk, Italy and Ireland MARIO	To explore the use of the social robot, MARIO, with older people living with dementia as a way of addressing these issues	Descriptive qualitative study	Semi-structured interviews were held in each location with people with dementia, relatives/carers, formal carers and managers The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis	38 participants with dementia, 28 relatives/carers, 28 formal carers and 13 managers
Moyle W, Bramble M, Jones CJ, Murfield JE "She had a smile on her face as wide as the great Australian bite": a qualitative examination of family perceptions of a therapeutic robot and a plush toy 2019	Gerontologist Australia PARO and Plush toy	To explore family members' perceptions of PARO, and a look-alike, nonrobotic plush toy, when used by their relative with dementia	Descriptive qualitative approach, nested within a larger cluster randomized controlled trial	Convenience sample of 20 family members with relatives in 9 long-term care facilities completed individual semi-structured interviews (telephone or face-to-face) Inductive, data-driven thematic analysis of the data was undertaken with the assistance of the qualitative management software, ATLAS.ti®	20 family members, 10 each from the PARO and plush toy conditions, with relatives in 9 long-term care facilities
Abbott R, Orr N, McGill P, Whear R, Bethel A, Garside R, Stein K, Thompson-Coon J How do "robopets" impact the health and well-being of residents in care homes? A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence 2019	Int J Older People Nurs UK Robopets	To bring together the evidence of the experiences of staff, residents and family members of interacting with robopets and the effects of robopets on the health and well-being of older people living in care homes	Systematic review of qualitative and quantitative research	Study selection was undertaken independently by two reviewers Used the Wallace criteria and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool to assess the quality of the evidence Developed a logic model with stakeholders and used this as a framework to guide data extraction and synthesis Where appropriate, used meta-analysis to combine effect estimates from quantitative studies	19 studies: 10 qualitative, 2 mixed methods and 7 randomized trials
Pu L, Moyle W, Jones C How people with dementia perceive a therapeutic robot called PARO in relation to their pain and mood: a qualitative study 2020	J Clin Nurs Australia PARO	To explore how people with mild to moderate dementia and chronic pain perceive PARO as an alternative intervention to manage their pain and mood	Descriptive qualitative approach nested within a pilot randomized controlled trial	Participants with dementia and chronic pain were recruited from three residential aged care facilities Participants interacted with PARO for 30 min, 5 days a week over a 6-week period A sample of 11 participants completed individual semi-structured interviews at the end of the intervention Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken Reporting of findings followed the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research checklist	11 participants with dementia and chronic pain
Jøranson N, Pedersen I, Rokstad AM, Ihlebaek C Change in quality of life in older people with dementia participating in PARO-activity: a cluster-randomized controlled trial 2016	J Adv Nurs Norway PARO	To investigate effects of robot-assisted group activity with PARO on quality of life in older people with dementia	A cluster-randomized controlled trial	27 participants participated in group activity for 30 min twice a week over 12 weeks, 26 participated in the control group Change in quality of life was assessed by local nurses through the Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia scale at baseline, after end of intervention and at 3 months follow-up The scale and regular psychotropic medication were analyzed stratified by dementia severity Analysis using mixed model, one-way ANOVA and linear regression were performed	27 participants
Lane GW, Noronha D, Rivera A, Craig K, Yee C, Mills B, Villanueva E Effectiveness of a social robot, "PARO," in a VA long-term care setting 2016	Psychol Serv California PARO	To conduct research in the veteran population since studies have been mostly about older adults only	Pilot study	Clinical staff, including nursing, recreation therapy, and occupational therapy staff, were encouraged to observe and tabulate behavioral observations of veterans across three time periods First was pretreatment, which was approximately 1 h prior to introduction of the device The second was active treatment, when veteran was being actively presented with or was observed to be actively using PARO The third was post treatment, which was considered to be approximately 1 to 2 h postwithdrawal of PARO	23 veteran residents of a Veterans Affairs geropsychiatric long-term care facility
Kang HS, Makimoto K, Konno R, Koh IS Review of outcome measures in PARO robot intervention studies for dementia care 2020	Geriatr Nurs South Korea PARO	To describe interventions for PARO, as well as the outcomes evaluated and found following use of PARO, and to identify outcome measures in PARO intervention studies for older adults with dementia	Systematic review	Multiple databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Scopus) were searched and eight studies were included in the systematic review Data from the eight studies were extracted using a table based on population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes After data collection, each measure was classified into one of the verified outcomes	8 studies
Cruz-Sandoval D, Favela J Incorporating conversational strategies in a social robot to interact with people with dementia 2019	Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord Mexico Socially assistive robots (SAR)	To assess the effectiveness of incorporating conversational strategies proposed in the literature for caregivers, during person with dementia-robot interactions	Experimental protocols Single subject research designs/simple observational studies without a control group. Used an AB design	Conducted a total of 23 group sessions based on music and conversation therapy, where a socially assistive robot interacted with 12 persons with dementia (mean = 80.25 years) diagnosed with mild to moderate-stage dementia Using a single subject research approach, developed an AB study to assess the effectiveness of the conversational strategies in the persons with dementia-robot interaction Analysis focuses on the direct communication between the people with dementia and the robot, and the perceived enjoyment of persons with dementia	12 participants aged between 71 and 90 years diagnosed with dementia
Russo A, D'Onofrio G, Gangemi A, Giuliani F, Mongiovi M, Ricciardi F, Greco F, Cavallo F, Dario P, Sancarlo D, Presutti V, Greco A Dialogue systems and conversational agents for patients with dementia: the human–robot interaction 2019	Rejuvenation Res Italy Conversational Agents: Chatterbots and Dialogue Systems	To identify and describe the fundamental characteristics of spoken dialogue systems, and their role in supporting human–robot interaction and enabling the communication between socially assistive robots and patients with dementia	Systematic review	A keyword-based search strategy defined to identify relevant studies through Google Scholar and accessing the SpringerLink digital library, the IEEE408 Xplore Digital Library, the ACM Digital Library and PubMed 12 articles were selected for the review	12 articles
Mordoch E, Osterreicher A, Guse L, Roger K, Thompson G Use of social commitment robots in the care of elderly people with dementia: a literature review 2013	Maturitas Canada Commitment robots	To discuss the literature on the use of social commitment robots in the care of elderly people with dementia; the contributions to care that social commitment robots potentially can make and the cautions around their use	Systematic review	Literature searches for this review were conducted in March, April and May 2012 using databases: PubMed, CINHAL, Ageline, Embase, Scopus, EI Engineering Village, PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar A total of 21 articles were used in the review	10 journal articles and 11 proceedings citations
Chu MT, Khosla R, Khaksar SM, Nguyen K Service innovation through social robot engagement to improve dementia care quality 2017	Assist Technol Australia Social robots	To show how the engagement between two social robots and people with dementia in Australian residential care facilities can improve care quality	Observational study	Observational method adopted to discover behavioral patterns during interactions between robots and persons with dementia Observational study undertaken to explore the improvement arising from: (1) Approaching social baby-face robots, (2) Experiencing pleasure engaging with the robots, (3) Interacting with the robots (4) Interacting with others	139 participants aged 65–90 years, who suffer from differing levels of dementia
Ienca M, Wangmo T, Jotterand F, Kressig RW, Elger B Ethical design of intelligent assistive technologies for dementia: a descriptive review 2018	Sci Eng Ethics Switzerland Intelligent Assistive Technology	To review the spectrum of intelligent assistive technologies for dementia and investigates the prevalence of ethical considerations in the design of current intelligent assistive technologies	Descriptive review/Systematic literature review	A systematic literature review performed to retrieve a comprehensive and the up-to-date list of intelligent assistive technologies with application to dementia care Three steps of filtering were performed (Prisma criteria) An in-depth review of full-text articles included in the synthesis	539 articles
Obayashi K, Kodate N, Masuyama S Measuring the impact of age, gender and dementia on communication-robot interventions in residential care homes 2020	Geriatr Gerontol Int Japan Com-robots	To examine the impact of age, gender and the stage of dementia on the results of an assistive technology intervention that make use of communication robots (com-robots)	Non-randomized, multicenter quasi-experimental intervention study	Conducted in residential care homes in Japan, two types of com-robots were introduced for 8 weeks after baseline evaluation The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning was used for evaluating any changes present after the 8-week intervention The Degree of Daily Life Independence Score for People with Dementia was employed for measuring the stage of dementia	78 residents: 68 women, 10 men
Arthanat S, Begum M, Gu T, LaRoche DP, Xu D, Zhang N Caregiver perspectives on a smart home-based socially assistive robot for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia 2020	Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol USA Socially assistive robots (SAR)	To beta-test a novel socially assistive robot with a cohort of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia caregivers and gather their perspectives on its potential integration in the home context	Study protocol conducted using a grounded theory qualitative approach	Eight caregivers observed the socially assistive robot perform in two care protocols concerning the care recipient's daily routine and home safety, and then participated in a focus group and phone interview The researchers used grounded theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as a framework to gather and analyse the data	8 caregivers: 2 men and 6 women Four of the female caregivers cared for their husbands, and the other two were caregivers for their mother and father respectively. The two male caregivers cared for their wives. Five caregivers lived with their care recipients and three resided separately. The average age of the care recipients was 78.5 (ranging from 59 to 98). Seven of them were reported to have Alzheimer’s disease and one had Lewy body dementia
Góngora Alonso S, Hamrioui S, de la Torre Díez I, Motta Cruz E, López-Coronado M, Franco M Social robots for people with aging and dementia: a systematic review of literature 2019	Telemed J E Health Spain PARO	To review existing research in the literature, referring to the use of social robots for people with dementia and/or aging	Systematic review of literature	Academic databases that were used to perform the searches are IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, taking into account as date of publication the last 10 years, from 2007 to the present Selection process of the articles was done by reading the titles and abstracts and were classified by reading the whole article as well when required Analysis was done to see which gave rise to relevant contributions	38 articles
Pino M, Boulay M, Jouen F, Rigaud AS "Are we ready for robots that care for us?" Attitudes and opinions of older adults toward socially assistive robots 2015	Front Aging Neurosci France Socially assistive robots (SAR)	To investigate SAR acceptance among three groups of older adults living in the community: persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment, informal caregivers of persons with dementia, and healthy older adults	A mixed-method approach, including a short self-administered questionnaire and a series of focus groups, was used for data collection and analysis	Participants completed a survey and took part in a focus group A functional robot prototype, a multimedia presentation, and some use-case scenarios provided a base for the discussion Content analysis was carried out based on recorded material from focus groups	25 participants
Scoglio AA, Reilly ED, Gorman JA, Drebing CE Use of social robots in mental health and well-being research: systematic review 2019	Med Internet Res USA Socially assistive robots (SAR)	To synthesize and describe the nascent empirical literature of SARs in mental health research and identifies strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in future research and practice	Systematic review of literature	Searches in Medline, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore yielded 12 studies included in the final review after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria Included studies had to report on one or more mental health or psychological well-being outcomes with data collected to measure the robot’s possible relationship with the mood, psychological welfare, or comfort of users	12 studies
Robaczewski A, Bouchard J, Bouchard K et al Socially assistive robots: The specific case of the NAO 2021	Int J of Soc Robotics Canada NAO	To gather every research that has been done using this robot to see how the NAO can be used and what could be its potential as a social assistive robot	Systematic review	Articles using the NAO in any situation were found searching PSYCHINFO, Computer & Applied Sciences Complete and ACM Digital Library databases To synthesize the information found, groups were made according to the general theme and population with which the robot was used These categories were decided retrospectively because they offer the better classification system to what was presented in the articles	51 publications
Gustafsson C, Svanberg C, Müllersdorf M Using a robotic cat in dementia care: a pilot study 2015	J Gerontol Nurs Sweden JustoCat	To explore reactions of individuals with dementia to an interactive robotic cat and their relatives' and professional caregivers' experiences, and to measure usability in developing the care/treatment of individuals with dementia using interactive robotic pets	Pilot study	An intervention design in a pilot study using mixed methods was conducted in two stages: (a) a quantitative single-case study and (b) a qualitative interview study	4 quantitative single-case study and 14 qualitative interview study
Darragh M, Ahn HS, MacDonald B, Liang A, Peri K, Kerse N, Broadbent E Homecare robots to improve health and well-being in mild cognitive impairment and early stage dementia: results from a scoping study 2017	J Am Med Dir Assoc New Zealand Homecare robot	To be the first step of a multiphase, international project aimed at designing a homecare robot that can provide functional support, track physical and psychological well-being, and deliver therapeutic intervention specifically for individuals with mild cognitive impairment	Observational requirements gathering study	Semi-structured interviews (30–60 min) were conducted with 3 participant groups: (1) individuals with memory challenges, mild cognitive impairment, or mild dementia; (2) carers of those with mild cognitive impairment or dementia; and (3) those with expertise in mild cognitive impairment or dementia research, clinical care, or management All participants were asked a similar set of questions, regarding patient needs and how a homecare robot could assist in 4 areas: (1) daily challenges; (2) safety and security; (3) health and well-being; (4) therapeutic intervention	3 participant groups: 9 individuals with memory challenges, mild cognitive impairment, or mild dementia, 8 carers of those with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, 16 with expertise in mild cognitive impairment or dementia research, clinical care, or management
Demange M, Lenoir H, Pino M, Cantegreil-Kallen I, Rigaud AS, Cristancho-Lacroix V Improving well-being in patients with major neurodegenerative disorders: Differential efficacy of brief social robot-based intervention for 3 neuropsychiatric profiles 2018	Clin Interv Aging France PARO	To examine the impact of short exposure to PARO on the subjective emotional well-being of patients with major neurocognitive disorder as well as its impact on differential effects for 3 behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia profiles	Pilot Study	Seventeen patients with major neurocognitive disorder with apathy, depression, and agitation were recruited The intervention was composed of four 15-min individual sessions Exposure occurred without the simultaneous presence of a health care provider A pre-post assessment of emotional well-being was conducted with the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short-Form, which measures positive and negative affectivity	17 patients with major neurocognitive disorders: 6 with apathy, 7 with depression, and 4 with agitation
Hung L, Liu C, Woldum E, Au-Yeung A, Berndt A, Wallsworth C, Horne N, Gregorio M, Mann J, Chaudhury H The benefits of and barriers to using a social robot PARO in care settings: a scoping review 2019	BMC Geriatr Canada PARO	To map out the empirical evidence on the key benefits of PARO, and to identify barriers that may impede the adoption of this social robot	Scoping review	Scientific databases and Google Scholar were searched to identify publications published since 2000 The inclusion criteria consisted of older people with dementia, care setting, and social robot PARO The questions guiding this review were: (a) What has been reported in the literature regarding the benefits of PARO in dementia care? (b) What are the barriers to adopting PARO in the care setting?	29 papers
Bradwell HL, Edwards KJ, Winnington R, Thill S, Jones RB Companion robots for older people: importance of user-centred design demonstrated through observations and focus groups comparing preferences of older people and roboticists in South West England 2019	BMJ Open South West England Animal companion robots	To assess the importance of user-centered design by comparing companion robot design perceptions between older people (end users) and roboticists (developers)	This study was one of many sub-studies forming a doctoral collaborative action research (CAR) project (observational study with focus groups)	Older people and roboticists interacted with eight companion robots or alternatives at two separate events in groups of two to four people Interactions were recorded, participants' comments and observations were transcribed, and content was analyzed Subsequently, each group participated in focus groups on perceptions of companion robot design Discussions were recorded and transcribed, and content was analyzed	17 older persons: 5 male, 12 female, ages 60–99, at a supported living retirement complex, and 18 roboticists: 10 male, 8 female, ages 24–37 at a research center away-day

Author(s) Title Year	Context	Main results/outcomes	Main conclusions	Limitations
Moyle W, Bramble M, Jones C, Murfield J Care staff perceptions of a social robot called PARO and a look-alike Plush Toy: a descriptive qualitative approach 2018	Most studies have tended to focus on the perspective of the older person rather than staff, and only one known study has compared PARO with a non-robotic plush toy, control-like equivalent (a lion)	(1) Main findings suggest that staff are willing to adopt PARO as a companion animal within practice because they perceived PARO had many benefits and found it useful and practical for people with dementia to use (2) PARO, like all psychosocial approaches, should not be used as ‘a one size fits all’ approach to care, (this view is supported by the fact that some residents reacted badly to PARO)	▪ Staff caring for people with dementia preferred PARO compared to a look-alike plush toy ▪ Staff identified that PARO had the potential to improve quality of life for people with dementia, whereas the plush toy had limitations when compared to PARO ▪ However, participants expressed concern that the cost of PARO could reduce opportunities for use within aged care	The study findings are limited by the generalizability of the findings The inclusion, by chance, of only animal loving staff in the interviews (missing opposite view) Study on a short period
Zuschnegg J, Paletta L, Fellner M, Steiner J, Pansy-Resch S, Jos A, Koini M, Prodromou D, Halfens RJG, Lohrmann C, Schüssler S Humanoid socially assistive robots in dementia care: a qualitative study about expectations of caregivers and dementia trainers 2021	Due to disease-specific symptoms, dementia care presents significant challenges, increasing the caregivers’ stress levels and burden With regard to future care, it is also necessary to consider the declining worldwide availability of healthcare professionals like nurses or informal caregivers	(1) Participants reported mostly positive expectations and stated that socially assistive robots could offer potential support in all components of human needs, especially in avoiding danger (e.g., recognize danger, organize help), communication/contact with others (e.g., enable telephone calls, provide company), daily activities (e.g. remind of appointments, household obligations), recreational activities (e.g., provide music), eating/drinking (e.g., help cook), and mobility/body posture (e.g., give reminders/instructions for physical exercise) (2) Participants also mentioned some negative expectations in all human needs, predominantly in communication/contact with others (e.g., loss of interpersonal interaction) and avoiding danger (e.g., skepticism regarding emergencies)	▪ Participants stated that socially assistive robots had great potential to provide assistance in dementia care, especially by reminding, motivating/encouraging and instructing people with dementia Informal caregivers and nurses also considered them as useful supportive devices for themselves ▪ However, participants also mentioned negative expectations, especially in communication/contact with others and avoiding danger ▪ The support caregivers and dementia trainers expect from humanoid socially assistive robots and may contribute to their optimization for dementia care	One focus group was performed with only two participants due to a dropout on short notice of three people One robot was shown as an example of a humanoid socially assistive robot. (could represent a bias by limiting expectations to this specific robot) No focus group with the people concerned (people with dementia/Alzheimer's disease)
Moyle W, Jones C, Murfield J, Thalib L, Beattie E, Shum D, Draper B Using a therapeutic companion robot for dementia symptoms in long-term care: reflections from a cluster-randomised controlled trial 2019	Of the many psychosocial interventions available, PARO, a therapeutic pet-type robot modelled on the features of a baby harp seal, has shown potential to ease behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in the few, small-scale clinical trials conducted to date	(1) A person-centered approach to dementia care planning is essential, as different demographic and clinical profiles, unmet needs and interests and likes, can result in very different responses to the same psychosocial intervention (2) Consistent and ongoing monitoring of the person with dementia’s response to any intervention should form a key part of care planning (3) Undertaking any psychosocial intervention in clinical practice or research with a vulnerable population requires a careful benefit/risk assessment and a consideration of possible ethical issues	▪ That one approach does not fit all, and that there is considerable variation in responses to PARO	Small sample
Law M, Sutherland C, Ahn HS, MacDonald BA, Peri K, Johanson DL, Vajsakovic DS, Kerse N, Broadbent E Developing assistive robots for people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia: a qualitative study with older adults and experts in aged care 2019	There is little research investigating the use of assistive robots in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia in particular. An assistive robot specifically designed for this population could enable people to live at home for longer, as they do not yet need full-time care like patients with full dementia	(1) The themes that emerged included aspects of the robot’s interactions, potential benefits, the appearance, actions and humanness of the robot, ways to improve its functionality and technical issues (2) Overall, the activities were perceived as useful, especially the reminders and safety checks, with possible benefits of companionship, reassurance and reduced caregiver burden (3) Suggestions included personalizing the robot to each individual, simplifying the language and adding more activities	▪ The robot was seen to be potentially useful but needs to be tested with people with mild cognitive impairment	Short time to interact with the robot Lack of participants with cognitive impairment or informal caregivers
Wangmo T, Lipps M, Kressig RW, Ienca M Ethical concerns with the use of intelligent assistive technology: findings from a qualitative study with professional stakeholders 2019	The implementation of intelligent assistive technologies has been observed to be sub-optimal due to a number of barriers in the translation of novel applications from the designing labs to the bedside Furthermore, since these technologies are designed to be used by vulnerable individuals with age- and multi-morbidity-related frailty and cognitive disability, they are perceived to raise important ethical challenges, especially when they involve machine intelligence, collect sensitive data or operate in close proximity to the human body	(1) Findings indicate that professional stakeholders find issues of patient autonomy and informed consent, quality of data management, distributive justice and human contact as ethical priorities (2) Divergences emerged in relation to how these ethical issues are interpreted, how conflicts between different ethical principles are resolved and what solutions should be implemented to overcome current challenge	▪ That a general agreement among professional stakeholders on the ethical promises and challenges raised by the use of intelligent assistive technologies among older and disabled users ▪ Notable divergences persist regarding how these ethical challenges can be overcome and what strategies should be implemented for the safe and effective implementation of intelligent assistive technologies	Small number of experts from three different countries with varying health care systems Other ethical issues critical for this field may have remained undiscussed Did not interview end-users or their families
Casey D, Barrett E, Kovacic T, Sancarlo D, Ricciardi F, Murphy K, Koumpis A, Santorelli A, Gallagher N, Whelan S The perceptions of people with dementia and key stakeholders regarding the use and impact of the social robot MARIO 2020	People with dementia often experience loneliness and social isolation This can result in increased cognitive decline which, in turn, has a negative impact on quality of life	(1) The findings revealed that despite challenges in relation to voice recognition and the practicalities of conducting research involving robots in real-life settings, most participants were positive about MARIO (2) Through the robot’s user-led design and personalized applications, MARIO provided a point of interest, social activities, and cognitive engagement increased (3) However, some formal carers and managers voiced concern that robots might replace care staff	▪ That the social robot MARIO was an accepted part of social care for people with dementia ▪ That social robots may have an important role to play in combatting loneliness, enhancing autonomy and increasing levels of engagement	Small sample size Given the absence of a fully autonomous robot and the constant presence of the researcher it is difficult to come to categorical conclusions regarding the impact of MARIO
Moyle W, Bramble M, Jones CJ, Murfield JE "She had a smile on her face as wide as the great Australian bite": a qualitative examination of family perceptions of a therapeutic robot and a plush toy 2019	Recent years have seen social robotic pets introduced as a means of treating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and many show promising potential	(1) Family members of long-term care residents with dementia expressed positive perceptions of PARO, perceiving that it improved mood, reduced agitation, and provided opportunity for communication for their relative (2) Negative perceptions of the plush toy were given by family members, primarily because of its lack of movement and engagement	▪ Family members were keen for their older relative with dementia to use a social robot that moved and engaged with them; plush toys that were static and unresponsive were perceived as being ineffective in improving quality of life ▪ Current cost of PARO was identified by family members as a major limitation to use	Small scale study Short interaction period The disappointment expressed by family members about the plush toy may have been exacerbated because of the random allocation of their relatives’ facility to the plush toy group rather than the PARO group Does not feature the opinion of older people or their families
Abbott R, Orr N, McGill P, Whear R, Bethel A, Garside R, Stein K, Thompson-Coon J How do "robopets" impact the health and well-being of residents in care homes? A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence 2019	Robotic animals that mimic living animals and respond to human interaction may offer an alternative therapy Robopets are small animal‐like robots which have the appearance and behavioral characteristics of pets	(1) Interactions with robopets were described as having a positive impact on aspects of well‐being including loneliness, depression and quality of life by residents and staff, although there was no corresponding statistically significant evidence from meta‐analysis for these outcomes (2) Meta‐analysis showed evidence of a reduction in agitation with the robopet “PARO” compared to control (3) Not everyone had a positive experience of robopets	▪ Engagement with robopets appears to have beneficial effects on the health and well‐being of older adults living in care homes, but not everyone chose to engage ▪ Whether the benefits can be sustained have yet to be investigated	Many of the quantitative studies were small, of short duration and with no follow‐up measurements Blinding of participants was often not possible Appropriateness of outcome measures (Qualitative research included in the review was generally of higher quality, although few studies were explicitly aligned to a theoretical perspective for their work)
Pu L, Moyle W, Jones C How people with dementia perceive a therapeutic robot called PARO in relation to their pain and mood: a qualitative study 2020	Interacting with social robots, such as the robotic seal PARO, has been shown to improve mood and acute pain for people with dementia Little attention has been paid to the effect of PARO on people with dementia and chronic pain	(1) Residents with dementia expressed positive attitudes towards the use of PARO and acknowledged the therapeutic benefits of PARO on mood improvement and relaxation for pain relief also mentioned the limitations of its weight, voice and characteristics (2) Residents’ responses could also fluctuate during the intervention process, and individual preferences need to be considered	▪ The PARO intervention is a promising intervention to improve positive emotion, and there is some anecdotal evidence that pain may be decreased from the perspectives of people living with chronic pain and dementia	Small sample Not feasible to undertake member checks with people with dementia (but study involved at least two researchers in the data analysis to enhance the analytic findings) The short duration of interviews
Jøranson N, Pedersen I, Rokstad AM, Ihlebaek C Change in quality of life in older people with dementia participating in PARO-activity: a cluster-randomized controlled trial 2016	There is restricted knowledge of effects on robot-assisted activity on quality of life Few intervention studies measure quality of life with assessment scales There is a lack of robust design with follow-up measures in studies with robot-assisted interventions	(1) An effect was found among participants with severe dementia from baseline to follow-up showing stable quality of life in the intervention group compared with a decrease in the control group (2) The intervention explained most of the variance in change in the total scale and in the subscales describing Tension and Well-being for the group with severe dementia (3) The intervention group used significantly less psychotropic medication compared with the control group after end of intervention	▪ Pleasant and engaging activities facilitated by nursing staff, such as group activity with PARO, could improve quality of life in people with severe dementia	Small sample size Blinding assessors or participants is not possible in this kind of trial
Lane GW, Noronha D, Rivera A, Craig K, Yee C, Mills B, Villanueva E Effectiveness of a social robot, "PARO," in a VA long-term care setting 2016	Advances in the field of social robotics have provided a promising route to deliver animal assisted interventions while avoiding these acceptance obstacles. Although there has been promising initial research on social robotics in older adults, to date there has been no such research conducted with a veteran population	(1) PARO both reduces negative behavior and mood states and induces increases in indicators of positive states (2) It seems easier to elicit increases in positive mood and behavioral observations via use of PARO versus decreasing negative ones (3) PARO is not particularly useful when offered to a veteran in acute distress or in the midst of a catastrophic reaction, but instead it’s recommended to use PARO for veterans suffering from chronic issues with behavior or mood challenges at the time they are relatively calm and approachable	▪ PARO is likely an effective nonpharmacological approach for managing dementia-related mood and behavior problems with veterans in VA long term care facilities ▪ PARO is best presented to residents who are relatively calm and approachable, as opposed to actively exhibiting behavior or mood problems	Inability to distinguish the effects of staff attention from effects of PARO Study was unblinded Samples collected from our population of users may be systematically biased by issues such as observer bias or selection bias
Kang HS, Makimoto K, Konno R, Koh IS Review of outcome measures in PARO robot intervention studies for dementia care 2020	Among the variety of social robots available worldwide, PARO is considered the best known and most therapeutic. However, there are gaps in the literature that require further consideration for the development of core parameters for the standardized reporting of effectiveness and comparison of outcomes across studies	(1) When planning PARO interventions, intervention types (individual or group), group size, and session duration should be considered because of their possible impacts on outcomes (2) There is a strong need for a standardized training protocol for both proxy observation and facilitator for evaluating the effectiveness of PARO intervention (3) Quality of life could be an appropriate indicator to assess the effects of interventions using the PARO robot	▪ Interventions using PARO can be beneficial for improving quality of life, affect, social interaction, and reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms and psychotropic or pain medication use	Only randomized controlled trials that used PARO, and were published in English and Japanese, were included
Cruz-Sandoval D, Favela J Incorporating conversational strategies in a social robot to interact with people with dementia 2019	Establishing verbal communication with a person with dementia is challenging. Thus, several authors have proposed strategies to converse with persons with dementia While these strategies have proved effective at enhancing communication between persons with dementia and their caregivers, they have not been used or tested in the domain of human–robot interaction	(1) The number of utterances made from a person with dementia to the robot increased significantly when the conversational strategies were included in the robot (2) Persons with dementia engaged in more sustained conversations (3) Persons with dementia enjoyed conversing with the robot Eva, as much as listening to music (4) Results indicate that the use of these conversational strategies is effective at increasing the interaction between person with dementia and a socially assistive robot	▪ Persons with dementia who participated in the study engaged and enjoyed the interaction with the socially assistive robot ▪ There is evidence of the importance of incorporating appropriate conversational strategies in socially assistive robots that support interventions for the care and social stimulation of persons with dementia	Results cannot be generalized to all dementia patients
Russo A, D'Onofrio G, Gangemi A, Giuliani F, Mongiovi M, Ricciardi F, Greco F, Cavallo F, Dario P, Sancarlo D, Presutti V, Greco A Dialogue systems and conversational agents for patients with dementia: the human–robot interaction 2019	While the overview of spoken dialogue systems relies on existing surveys and reviews, research was conducted to identify existing works in the literature that have investigated the role of conversational agents and dialogue systems for the elderly and people with cognitive impairments	(1) Explicit confirmation dialogues are an important aspect of the dialogue strategy, and better results are achieved when limited amount of information is presented for confirmation (2) There is a significant difference between the vocabulary used by elderly and those used by non-elderly adults (and used to configure the dialogue system) (3) Some differences were also observed regarding the syntactic structure of the utterances	▪ The ability of a dialogue system to respond to user needs affects the perceived social abilities of the robot and has thus an impact on the acceptance by the users ▪ The ability of a social robot to convey emotions through the produced speech is still an open research challenge, where further efforts are necessary with multidisciplinary contributions towards socially assistive robots	None reported
Mordoch E, Osterreicher A, Guse L, Roger K, Thompson G Use of social commitment robots in the care of elderly people with dementia: a literature review 2013	A key challenge in dementia care is to assist the person to sustain communication and connection to family, caregivers and the environment The use of social commitment robots in the care of people with dementia has intriguing possibilities to address some of these care needs	(1) There is emerging evidence that therapeutic robotics are useful in engaging people to interact with each other, producing a calming effect, and providing companionship, motivation and enjoyment (2) There is a need for increased publications in peer reviewed academic journals	▪ Social assistive robots may provide important and feasible alternatives to some of the care demands ▪ These alternatives must be balanced with cautions to provide quality human contact in this care and to not unnecessarily dilute the important aspect of human compassion in the care of vulnerable populations	None reported
Chu MT, Khosla R, Khaksar SM, Nguyen K Service innovation through social robot engagement to improve dementia care quality 2017	Assistive technologies, such as robots, have proven to be useful in a social context and to improve the quality of life for persons with dementia	(1) Social robots can improve diversion therapy service value to person with dementia through sensory enrichment, positive social engagement, and entertainment (2) There are several significant and positive effects of using a social robot in group-based activities (3) Social robots are capable of generating positive reactions from persons with dementia and can encourage persons with dementia to actively engage with their community in residential aged care facilities	▪ These innovative social robots can improve the quality of care for people suffering from dementia	Staff and participants who attended more than one trial, could have become more familiar with the robots over time, promoting more engagement and positive reactions Small sample size This study is conducted by only participants who felt postive towards the robots deployed in our field trials when it would be important to observe the level of acceptance from people who are not originally inclined towards robots
Ienca M, Wangmo T, Jotterand F, Kressig RW, Elger B Ethical design of intelligent assistive technologies for dementia: a descriptive review 2018	With current adoption rates being reportedly low, the potential of intelligent assistive technologies might remain under-expressed as long as the reasons for suboptimal adoption remain unaddressed Among these, ethical and social considerations are critical	(1) A significant portion of current intelligent assistive technologies is designed in the absence of explicit ethical considerations (2) Several intelligent assistive technologies presented multiple considerations (i.e. more than one ethical theme) (3) Among these, autonomy was by far the most frequent family of ethical considerations, followed by non-maleficence and beneficence. In contrast, justice, interdependence and privacy considerations appeared rare	▪ That the lack of ethical consideration might be a codeterminant of current structural limitations in the translation of intelligent assistive technologies from designing labs to bedside ▪ Calls for a coordinated effort to proactively incorporate ethical considerations early in the design and development of new products	It is possible that ethical considerations might be addressed at the level of technology design in an implicit manner, i.e. without being reported in the study protocols or without the use of the explicit terminology The absence of ethically relevant considerations might not be exclusive to intelligent assistive technologies for dementia but common to other trends in medical technology
Obayashi K, Kodate N, Masuyama S Measuring the impact of age, gender and dementia on communication-robot interventions in residential care homes 2020	Assistive technologies in care settings are increasingly expected to perform a broader set of functions and roles While there are great expectations for robotics-aided care, which encourage and facilitate social participation and interactions of older people, the use of AI-driven Socially Assistive Robots has remained rare	(1) Older participants aged ≥ 80 benefited more from the intervention than the younger cohort did (2) Greater improvement was shown among those with a more advanced stage of dementia than those at a less advanced stage, when using Daily Life Independence Score for People with Dementia	▪ Supports the use of com-robots within the context of a care team for older people with moderate dementia, and those who are aged ≥ 80 years	Small sample size Unbalanced control size Disproportionate number of female participants (These weaknesses are associated with the challenging environment in care homes)
Arthanat S, Begum M, Gu T, LaRoche DP, Xu D, Zhang N Caregiver perspectives on a smart home-based socially assistive robot for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia 2020	Socially assistive robots, an emerging domain of assistive technology, are projected to have a crucial role in supporting aging-in-place of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia	(1) The caregivers asserted the potential of the socially assistive robot to relieve care burden and envisioned it as a next-generation technology for caregivers (2) Adoption of the socially assistive robot, as an identified theme, was subject to the socially assistive robot’s navigability, care recipient engagement, adaptability, humanoid features, and interface design (3) In contrast, barriers leading to potential rejection were technological complexity, system failure, exasperation of burden, and failure to address digital divide	▪ Success of socially assistive robots as a home-health technology for Alzheimer's disease and related dementia is reliant on the timing of their integration, commercial viability, funding provisions, and their bonding with the care recipient ▪ Long-term research in the home settings is required to verify the usability and impact of socially assistive robots in mediating aging-in-place of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia	Both sources of data, the focus group and follow-up interviews, were derived from a single cohort of caregivers (Data from a second cohort of caregivers would have been helpful to corroborate the findings) Participants were recruited through self-selected sampling as opposed to being chosen purposively on specific demographic or caregiving characteristics
Góngora Alonso S, Hamrioui S, de la Torre Díez I, Motta Cruz E, López-Coronado M, Franco M Social robots for people with aging and dementia: a systematic review of literature 2019	Social robots are currently a form of assistive technology for the elderly, healthy, or with cognitive impairment, helping to maintain their independence and improve their well-being	(1) Healthcare robots in general have the potential to help meet the needs identified by staff and relatives for person with dementia in terms of entertainment, stimulation, and calm, improving lives of staff and residents (2) Participants without cognitive impairment have low intention to use the robot (3) Older people with dementia or some cognitive impairment have more positive acceptance of robots (Pleasant and attractive activities with the use of these robots can improve people’s quality of life, can become a beneficial tool in homecare and rehabilitation services, helping older people stay in their homes for longer, can represent an additional means to facilitate social interaction by creating a support network through a collaborative nursing staff or a relative)	▪ Use of social robots in elderly people without cognitive impairment and with dementia helps in a positive way to work independently in basic activities and mobility, provide security, and reduce stress ▪ Developers must work with social scientists, health professionals, and people user to meet the anticipated needs and help adopt better technologies	None reported
Pino M, Boulay M, Jouen F, Rigaud AS "Are we ready for robots that care for us?" Attitudes and opinions of older adults toward socially assistive robots 2015	Socially Assistive Robots (SAR) may help improve care delivery at home for older adults with cognitive impairment and reduce the burden of informal caregivers. Examining the views of these stakeholders on SAR is fundamental in order to conceive acceptable and useful SAR for dementia care	(1) An accurate insight of influential factors for SAR acceptance could be gained by combining quantitative and qualitative methods (2) Participants acknowledged the potential benefits of SAR for supporting care at home for individuals with cognitive impairment (3) In all the three groups, intention to use SAR was found to be lower for the present time than that anticipated for the future (4) However, caregivers and persons with mild cognitive impairment had a higher perceived usefulness and intention to use SAR, at the present time, than healthy older adults, confirming that current needs are strongly related to technology acceptance and should influence SAR design	▪ A key theme is the importance of customizing SAR appearance, services, and social capabilities ▪ Mismatch between needs and solutions offered by the robot, usability factors, and lack of experience with technology, were seen as the most important barriers for SAR adoption	Participants were not given the opportunity to suggest their own design solutions There was no direct interaction between participants and SAR Small sample size Involved exclusively people from the Paris region whose needs and views on SAR may not reflect the perspectives and needs of older people living in different environments Persons with a clinical diagnosis of dementia were not included in the sample (Although this choice was made to facilitate recruitment and participation in the focus groups, we could have considered adapting user-research methods for involving people with moderate or severe cognitive impairment in the study
Scoglio AA, Reilly ED, Gorman JA, Drebing CE Use of social robots in mental health and well-being research: systematic review 2019	To extend and improve on these platforms, the field of robotics has been increasingly included in conversations of how to deliver technology-assisted, interactive, and responsive mental health and psychological well-being interventions However, little is known about the empirical evidence or utility of using SARs in mental health interventions	(1) There are 5 distinct SARs used in research to investigate the potential for this technology to address mental health and psychological well-being outcomes (2) Research on mental health applications of SARs focuses largely on elderly dementia patients and relies on usability pilot data with methodological limitations	▪ The current SARs research in mental health use is limited in generalizability, scope, and measurement of psychological outcomes ▪ Opportunities for expansion of research in this area include diversifying populations studied, SARs used, clinical applications, measures used, and settings for those applications	Generalizability of these findings is limited Many of the studies had very small sample sizes (which also limits the generalizability of findings) Included studies frequently had very brief interventions with simple pre-post study designs. (which might make it difficult to assess differences in pre and post data and preclude conclusions about the efficacy of the interventions)
Robaczewski A, Bouchard J, Bouchard K et al Socially assistive robots: the specific case of the NAO 2021	Numerous studies have investigated the development of robotics, especially socially assistive robots, including the NAO robot This small humanoid robot has a great potential in social assistance	(1) NAO is easy to use, and it can either be a cognitive trainer or a companion (2) The attitude of the participants towards the robot is mainly positive, but this relation can be modified by the technical errors made by the robot (3) As a therapy assistant, results show that the NAO reduced stress and anxiety in a psychological therapy (4) NAO is also effective in enhancing motivation among participants (but long-term studies are needed to clarify this effect)	▪ NAO robot has a great potential as a socially assistive robot because of its capability to be adaptative and multifunctional ▪ NAO seems to benefit to both the professionals that would use them and to the users who will interact with it	Categories developed in the review were reported as subjective by the authors. (These categories were decided retrospectively because they offer the better classification system to what was presented in the articles in order to differentiate the different roles of the robot) Some studies could have been classified in more than one category, but the choice was made according to the main outcomes (the reliability of the categories could be questioned) Small sample sizes
Gustafsson C, Svanberg C, Müllersdorf M Using a robotic cat in dementia care: a pilot study 2015	Health and social welfare technology innovations aimed at supporting and offering alternative care and treatment for improvements in health or social care should be scrutinized to prove their impact This approach is even more relevant when new care and treatments are developed for vulnerable populations, such as individuals with dementia	(1) That the robots bring less agitated behavior and better quality of life for individuals with dementia. Interviews showed positive effects by providing increased interaction, communication, stimulation, relaxation, peace, and comfort to individuals with dementia (2) The tested interactive robotic cat was also considered easy to use	▪ There is an increased need for alternative/complementary forms of care to meet an increasing number of individuals with dementia ▪ For some individuals with dementia, an interactive robot, such as a robotic cat, can increase well-being and quality of life	Small scale study The results cannot be generalized but are credible if readers recognize descriptions or interpretations as comparable to their own experiences
Darragh M, Ahn HS, MacDonald B, Liang A, Peri K, Kerse N, Broadbent E Homecare robots to improve health and well-being in mild cognitive impairment and early stage dementia: results from a scoping study 2017	Although prior research has investigated the needs of those with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia and how assistive technologies can meet their needs, little research focuses specifically on how robots might assist the mildly cognitively impaired in the home, and as such, this area is relatively underdeveloped	2 key recommendations: (1) That a homecare robot deliver a comprehensive schedule that both prompts and engages individuals in therapeutic tasks, as well as provide regular reassurance and reminders. (A homecare robot could be programed with the personal activity preferences and level of support appropriate for the individual’s stage of cognitive impairment) (2) The second recommendation, arising mainly from results of the expert interviews, is several health indices that the robot could monitor, like delirium. (Such indices would provide valuable information about the health and well-being of those with mild cognitive impairment)	▪ A homecare robot could provide both practical and therapeutic benefit for the mildly cognitively impaired with 2 broad programs providing routine and reassurance; and tracking health and well-being	Small number of patient participants (but previous research has explored patient needs and this study offers some relatively novel contributions from experts regarding the use of homecare robots to improve outcomes in the mildly cognitively impaired)
Demange M, Lenoir H, Pino M, Cantegreil-Kallen I, Rigaud AS, Cristancho-Lacroix V Improving well-being in patients with major neurodegenerative disorders: differential efficacy of brief social robot-based intervention for 3 neuropsychiatric profiles 2018	Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia affect patients’ daily life and subjective well-being. International recommendations stress nonpharmacological interventions as first-line treatment While newer psychosocial initiatives adapted to geriatric populations based on social robot therapy have emerged, no studies on differential efficacy depending on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia profiles have been conducted yet	(1) A significant increase of positive affectivity (2) That agitated patients reduced negative affectivity significantly more than depressed patients (3) Results also confirmed users’ overall acceptability of the robot	▪ Support the usefulness of brief interactive sessions with the PARO robot for elderly patients with major neurocognitive disorder ▪ Encourages further research focused on brief interventions using social robotics, as well as on their specific benefits depending on the behavioral typology of patients with neurocognitive disorders	Small sample sizes Recruitment was based on pragmatic sampling and included mostly women (80%) Some factors that may affect subjective well-being were not controlled The studies assessing behavioral disorders (e.g., screaming, wandering, etc.) seem warranted after a short exposure to PARO. The choice of the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short-Form scale limited the profile of recruited patients (since it demanded that patients be able to understand questions and produce coherent answers)
Hung L, Liu C, Woldum E, Au-Yeung A, Berndt A, Wallsworth C, Horne N, Gregorio M, Mann J, Chaudhury H The benefits of and barriers to using a social robot PARO in care settings: a scoping review 2019	Given the complexity of providing dementia care in hospitals, integrating technology into practice is a high challenge and an important opportunity Although there is a growing demand and interest in using social robots in a variety of care settings to support dementia care, little is known about the impacts of the robotics and their application in care settings, i.e., what worked, in which situations, and how	(1) Main benefits to the use of PARO include: reducing negative emotion and behavioral symptoms, improving social engagement, and promoting positive mood and quality of care experience (2) Key barriers to the use of PARO are: cost and workload, infection concerns, and stigma and ethical issues (3) 3 research gaps: (a) the users’ needs and experiences remain unexplored, (b) few studies investigate the process of how to use the robot effectively to meet clinical needs (c) theory should be used to guide implementation	▪ Most interventions conducted have been primarily researcher-focused ▪ Future research should pay more attention to the clinical needs of the patient population and develop strategies to overcome barriers to the adoption of PARO in order to maximize patient benefits	Literature published in other language was not searched Search strategy may have been biased towards health and sciences Searching other technological databases may have yield additional articles Did not contact experts for checking additional articles we may have missed
Bradwell HL, Edwards KJ, Winnington R, Thill S, Jones RB Companion robots for older people: importance of user-centred design demonstrated through observations and focus groups comparing preferences of older people and roboticists in South West England 2019	Some authors suggested a growing need for research on maintaining well-being: while supporting physical functioning is often addressed, the psychological health of the ageing population has received less attention. Assistive robotics, whether rehabilitation or social robots, could help in this respect and alleviate some pressure on health and social care resources	(1) Significant differences in design preferences between older people and roboticists (2) Older people desired soft, furry, interactive animals that were familiar and realistic, while unfamiliar forms were perceived as infantilizing (3) By contrast, most roboticists eschewed familiar and realistic designs, thinking unfamiliar forms better suited older people (4) Older people also expressed desire for features not seen as important by developers (5) A large difference was seen in attitude towards ability to talk. Older people responded positively towards life-simulation features, eye contact, robot personalization and obeying commands, features undervalued by roboticists	▪ Observed misalignment of opinion between end users and developers on desirable design features of companion robots demonstrates the need for user-centered design during development	The short interaction time of 10 min between participants and robots allowed limited time for familiarity with devices Small sample size (although in-depth qualitative analysis does allow for increased confidence in results, and smaller group size may have limited the influence of social desirability bias or group dynamics)

^*When possible, content is pasted from published manuscripts, mainly from abstracts with little or only minor changes in formulations made by the authors to ensure greater readability. Explanatory comments are identified in the content in parentheses in italics