Opportunities and Challenges of Designing Socially Assistive Robots for Persons with Dementia Confirmation

Declining cognitive abilities can have a tremendous impact on an older adult’s ability to age healthily and maintain a high quality of life. Cognitive training has been shown to improve neural plasticity and increase cognitive reserve, thus reducing the risk of dementia. Designing socially assistive robots (SAR) to facilitate user-tailored piano learning cognitive training presents a unique opportunity at improving access to cognitive training. This presentation will explore the feasibility and efficacy of using a SAR to provide a piano learning cognitive training intervention to older adults with mild cognitive impairment – including a discussion on considerations for design, ethics, and acceptance.