Understanding the Impact of Robots’ Embodiment on User Acceptance and Engagement: Perspectives of Older Adults from Pakistan

Abstract With Global South’s (GS) aging population and advancements in technology, social robots have emerged as a potential alternative for supporting elderly care. However, there is a limited research investigating the engagement and acceptance of technology in GS. This paper investigates the engagement with and acceptance of three differently embodied social robots (Vector, Miro, Nao) among older adults in Pakistan. Through mixed methods, including interviews, questionnaires and interactions with the robots, this study explored the perspectives of 14 Pakistani older adults, including their thoughts on potential use of robots in home settings. Our findings highlight concerns that need to be addressed for a successful deployment of social robots in Pakistani context: existing cultural differences, older adult’s technological literacy, and language barriers. Participants preferred a human-like Nao robot because it was perceived as more reliable and familiar, partly due to exposure to robots in the media. Based on these results, we propose design considerations for deploying social robots in Pakistani home settings.