Talking Over the Robot: A Strained Human-Robot Collaboration in a Dementia-Prevention Class

Abstract

This paper analyzes the use of Silbot—a “dementia-prevention robot”—in a regional health center in South Korea. Based on an on-site observation of the Silbot classes, this study shows that the efficacy of the robot class relies heavily on the “strained collaboration” between the human instructor and the robot. “Strained collaboration” refers to the ways in which the instructor works with the robot, attempting to compensate for the robot’s functional limitation and social awkwardness. This tension stems from Silbot’s ambiguous identity—teacher or teaching instrument. In bringing Silbot into the classroom setting, each instructor employs characteristic verbal tones, bodily movements, and other pedagogical tactics. The instructor even talks over the robot, downplaying its interactional capacity. The robot is rendered present or absent, useful or intrusive, depending on the instructor’s need and the students’ attitude. This paper concludes that this three-party interaction should be an important element in designing and evaluating the dementia-prevention programs with robots. Any success of such robot programs requires a deeper understanding of the spatial and human context of robot use. Acknowledging and analyzing the strained collaboration in the robot class can lead to specific recommendations for engineers, designers, instructors, and policy makers in educational and elderly care robotics.