Evaluating the Physical Appeal of Elderly Companion Robots: A Study of Cuteness Versus Anthropomorphism

The extent of anthropomorphism in robot design has long been a topic of scholarly interest. However, the question of whether the elderly prefer robots that are "cute" or "human-like" remains unanswered. This study introduces the concept of cuteness, the degree of anthropomorphism, and other physical attributes as reference points. Using grey relational analysis, we evaluate the correlation between five appearance features of six companion robots and five affective evaluation indicators of the elderly. The study concludes that cuteness significantly correlates with perceptions of warmth and friendliness. The ranking of the correlation between the five affective evaluations and each appearance feature is as follows: brightness > glossiness > cuteness > anthropomorphism > saturation. This suggests that elderly individuals prefer companion robots that are cute rather than anthropomorphic. The findings of this study provide guidance for the design of companion robots for the elderly and offer new insights and methods for similar product design evaluations.