Ten social robots – LOVOT – have arrived in Aarhus and will be tested over the next year at four nursing homes: Rosenvangen, Fuglebakken, Hørgaarden, and Kristiansgaarden.
The aim of the research is to explore:
- The use of LOVOT in challenging everyday situations for elderly residents
- Whether LOVOT can facilitate social interaction, a sense of security, and communication among elderly residents in group settings
- Conducting ethnographic studies of LOVOT in common areas of the nursing homes
- Ethical aspects of using social robots
Director of Administration Signe Rønn Sørensen gave the welcome speech, and Christian Budde, Councilor for Health and Care in Aarhus Municipality, also welcomed the robots to Aarhus.
In the coming weeks, staff at the four nursing homes will be trained in using the robots, after which the robots will be put into operation.
We look forward to collaborating with the four nursing homes and the project team: Project Manager Monica Ekstrøm from VTH, Ivan Kjær Lauridsen, Head of Welfare Technology, and Gitte Krogh, Head of Nursing Homes.
The project is supported by Aarhus Municipality and Aalborg University. The Japanese company Groove X is providing LOVOT free of charge for the trial.
