The document summarizes the Accompany project, which aimed to develop socially assistive robots to help address the aging population in Europe. The project involved 9 partners across 5 EU countries who worked to [1] develop novel social and empathic human-robot interaction interfaces and techniques, [2] endow the robots with learning and adaptability using a cognitive architecture integrated with smart home systems, and [3] evaluate the acceptability of robots for promoting independent living through studies with older adult users in multiple countries. The project focused on adapting the Care-O-Bot 3 platform and involved repeated user input and testing over its duration to help ensure the systems were safe, interactive, personalized, and easy for older users to understand and use

1. Prof. Dr. Kerstin Dautenhahn
Adaptive Systems Research Group
University of Hertfordshire
PI for University of Hertfordshire
Accompany project
©University of Hertfordshire
ERF 13 March 2014

2. Context: Aging population
• According to Eurostat, the percentage of
the European population aged 65 years and
over will grow from 16% in 2010 up to
29,3% in 2060 (EUROSTAT, 2011).
Demographic changes in Europe (source: Birks, 2007) #
2#

3. Def: A Companion is an agent that
a) makes itself 'useful', i.e. is able to carry out a variety of tasks in order
to assist humans
b) behaves socially, i.e. possesses social skills in order to be able to
interact with people in a socially acceptable manner.
Note, a) and b) imply a long-term perspective:
• repeated interactions
• need for learning and adaptation
• potential for relationships, but does not assume that people “bond”
with robots (friend vs. assistant/butler)
Idea:
Being useful & making a positive contribution to people’s quality of life
The Robot as a Companion
Paradigm

4. Project:
ACCOMPANY
• Acceptable robotiCs COMPanions for AgeiNg Years
• The Accompany project addresses target outcome (a) service and
social robotics systems for “Ageing well” under objective
ICT-2011.5.4 ICT for Ageing and Wellbeing under EU FP7.
• A major challenge concerning the development of service robots for
the elderly is to enhance existing state of the art technologies and
interfaces in order to facilitate independent living at home.
• Focus on re-ablement
• User-centred approach
• Start 1 October 2011
• 3.6 M Euros EC contribution
• Coordinated by University of Hertfordshire
• (Farshid Amirabdollahian)
• 9 partners in 5 EU countries

5. Consortium
• The University of Hertfordshire (UH), United
Kingdom
• Hogeschool Zuyd (HZ), The Netherlands
• Fraunhofer (Fraunhofer), Germany
• University of Amsterdam (UVA), University
of Twente (UT), The Netherlands
• University of Siena (UNISI), Italy
• Maintien en Autonomie à Domicile des
Personnes Agées (MADOPA), France
• University of Birmingham (UB), University of
Warwick (UW), United Kingdom
5#

6. Involving users
• 6 rounds of user panels throughout the
project
• Evaluation in formative and summative
studies:
– Primary users (elderly)
– Secondary users (informal carers)
– Health care providers and local authorities
(formal carers)
6#

7. Focus on existing platform
Care-O-Bot 3 - redesigned
http://www.care-o-bot.de/english/Care-O-bot_3.php#

8. ACCOMPANY Objectives &
Results I
• Social and empathic interaction design
– Novel interfaces and interaction modalities
• Robot learning and adaptability
– Cognitive architecture for robot integrated in
smart home, human-robot co-learning and
teaching
• Environment and activity monitoring
– Tracking and activity recognition (data set)
8#

9. ACCOMPANY Objectives &
Results II
• Acceptability of robots for promoting
independence
– Studies in summative evaluation with users in
three countries
• Ethical issues surrounding companion
robots
– New frameworks for ethical guidelines for
robot technology and elderly people
9#

10. Some lessons learnt/challenges
• Activity recognition for multiple persons in
realistic home setting
• Safe and socially interactive platform
• Combining learning & personalization/
human-user teaching
• Easy to understand interfaces for users

11. Thank You