Addressing Potential Pitfalls of SAR Assistance on the Aging Population

In the field of Human Robot Interaction (HRI), socially assistive robots are being investigated to see if they can help combat challenges that can come with aging by providing different forms of support to older adults. As a result, it is imperative that the HRI community are aware of the potential pitfalls that can occur such as over-attachment, over-reliance, and increased isolation. This position paper argues designers should (a) avoid pitfalls that can lead to a negative impact on decline, and (b) leverage SAR decision making to avoid the pitfalls while attaining the benefits of this technology. Finally, we describe the concept for a framework as a starting point for addressing the concerns raised in this paper.