Rethinking the Why of Socially Assistive Robotics Through Design

Designing the right robotic solution for people in need is an important issue for the Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) community. This paper shows how design changes the research process in a robotic consortium, Romeo project. Romeo is a humanoid robot that aims to be a companion for disable and older people in hospitals and nursing homes. From field explorations, designers imagine another robot solution, build prototypes and invent new ways to address users’ needs and expectations: intention scenarios. These design interventions bring embodiment in early phases of SAR development, support the implementation of a comparative study on three robot representations, and open an in-situ discussion on the human-robot interaction.