Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
need exists to create robust, efficient and secure solutions. More specifically, the transi-
tion from a use in the laboratory to an actual deployment into real contexts, highlights
the need for a transition from short term to long term experiments hence requiring a
shift of attention on the aspects highlighted in this paper. In particular we underscore
how
long-term use
and
evaluation
are key points to be addressed to ensure that robotic
technology can make a leap forward and be used in real environments.
In the framework of the EU Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Joint Program
1
we are
performing a wide program of evaluation in the field of an industrial mobile telepres-
ence platform called G
IRAFF
produced by G
IRAFF
Technologies AB
2
, Sweden. More
specifically, we take part in an evaluation spanning three different EU countries - Italy,
Spain and Sweden. The evaluation takes social and psychological factors into account
to study users attitude and reaction, but also analyzes the emergence of “undesired
behaviors” like technological weaknesses in continuous operation, possibly leading to
human rejection. In this work, we present the results gathered in Italy after the short
term evaluation phase and, then, we present and discuss the general long term evalua-
tion methodology. The paper introduces the context of work (Section 2), then analyzes
and reasons about the work both to realize experiments with real users outside the labo-
ratories and to develop a methodology for addressing long term evaluation (Section 3);
finally it describes some technological challenges for telepresence robots when fielded
in real environments (Section 4).
2
Context of Work
Telepresence robots have been increasingly proposed to be used in workplace and Mo-
bile Remote Presence (MRP) systems have been studied as a means to enable remote
collaboration among co-workers [5,6]. Furthermore, MRP systems are also being used
to provide support to elderly people. In this respect, some initial research exists which
aims to understand the acceptance of older adults, their concerns and attitude toward
the adoption of MRP systems [7,8,9]. Our work is motivated by the participation to an
AAL project, called E
X
CITE
3
, aiming at promoting the use of MRP robots to foster
interaction and social participation of older people as well as to provide an easy means
to possible caregivers to visit and interact with their assisted persons while in their liv-
ing environment. G
IRAFF
(see Figure 1) is a remotely controlled mobile, human-height
physical avatar integrated with a videoconferencing system (including a camera, dis-
play, speaker and microphone). It is powered by motors that can propel and turn the
device in any direction. An LCD panel is incorporated into the head unit. The robotic
platform is accessed and controlled via a standard computer/laptop using a software
application. From a remote location the
client
(member of family or healthcare pro-
fessionals) with limited prior computer training teleoperates the robotic platform while
older people (
end users
) living in their own home (where the robot is placed) can re-
ceive their visit through the MRP. The remote user can charge the robot batteries by
driving it onto a docking station.
