FACILITATING RESIDENT INTERACTION THROUGH ROBOT-DELIVERED TRIVIA IN ASSISTED LIVING SETTINGS - Abstract

Sep 28, 2026

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Socially assistive robots (SAR) are positioned as a promising support for social and cognitive engagement amid high dementia prevalence and limited professional caregiving in residential care. This observational study examined SAR-facilitated trivia in assisted living settings using a Pepper humanoid robot with a chest-mounted tablet. A total of 82 customized items supported timed, natural language interactions with gestures and music across seven sessions, totaling 289 coded segments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Robot and trivia interaction design

Study setting and sessions

Observation method and coding model

Key findings and implications

Future design recommendations

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1293 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4312 FACILITATING RESIDENT INTERACTION THROUGH ROBOT-DELIVERED TRIVIA IN ASSISTED LIVING SETTINGS Shannon Power1, Anne Adams2, Lydia Burton1, Kasey Smith2, and Jenay Beer1, 1. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States, 2. SimpleC LLC, Marietta, Georgia, United States With high dementia prevalence and few professional caregivers, socially assistive robots (SAR) offer a promising alternative to support social and cognitive engagement among older adults in residential care. This study included observation of SAR-facilitated trivia for older residents in assisted living settings. The SAR was a 4-ft humanoid Softbank Robotics Pepper robot with a chest-mounted tablet. Trivia interactions were designed to support cognitive engagement through curated content, timed sequences, and natural language paired with expressive animations. Each session included an introduction, trivia Q&A, 1294 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 discussion prompts, and closing. A total of 82 customized trivia items were created, with tailored speech (pitch, speed, emotion), 70+ matching gestures, expressions, jokes, laughter, and music. Seven observation sessions were conducted across two facilities. The naturalistic setting allowed residents (sample range: 2-16) and staff (sample range: 0-5) to join/leave freely. 289 observational segments were documented by six researchers via a standardized template. Segments were coded using the CREATE Model of Aging and Technology, across four non-exclusive categories: user, technology(robot), environment, and task(trivia) . Observations revealed active engagement, prompting frequent interactions between Resident+Task (e.g., answer questions, freq=51), Resident+Resident (e.g., laughing, side conversation, freq=39), and Resident+Robot (e.g., asking robot questions, freq=28) . Staff+Task interactions were least frequent (e.g., prompting, repeating questions, freq=16) . Data suggest that the trivia tasks were engaging, the robot facilitated much of the social interaction, and the staff were able to monitor and supplement the interaction. Future design recommendations include AI-optimization of speech clarity, volume, and pacing to accommodate differences in resident cognitive abilities.

FAQs

What was the purpose of using robot-delivered trivia in assisted living?

To support older residents’ social and cognitive engagement through curated trivia content delivered by a socially assistive robot.

What robot and interaction components were used during trivia sessions?

A Pepper humanoid robot with a chest-mounted tablet delivered trivia using timed sequences, natural language, expressive animations, gestures, and music.

How were the observations conducted and analyzed?

Seven observation sessions across two facilities generated 289 documented segments coded with the CREATE Model of Aging and Technology across user, technology (robot), environment, and task categories.

Sep 28, 2026

Upload by Aditya