Emergence Co-Design Workshops
About
In July 2022, the CARE group successfully run two co-design workshops to contribute to the activities of the EMERGENCE network.
The network aims to create, foster and facilitate co-designed, co-delivered and impactful research to accelerate the realisation of healthcare robots as pragmatic and sustainable solutions for personalised, affordable and inclusive assessment, self-management and reduction of frailty. Eight older adults and five healthcare experts with expertise on self-management/prevention came together with roboticists and designers from the EMERGENCE network to explore how robotic technology may be used to provide better support to people living with frailty.
The workshops were hosted at the University of Edinburgh with the support of the Advanced Care Research Centre. We used the double diamond co-design method. The first “Discover” workshop, held on the 4th of July, focused on discovering the experiences and aspirations of people with lived experience of frailty, their carers and healthcare professionals with a focus on NHS England’s Practical Guide to Healthy Ageing.
The group reconvened on the 15th of July, in a “Define” workshop, to work together to identify and evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of potential health technology solutions which address the issues identified in the first workshop.
Overall participants have been very interested in hearing about possible uses of robotic technology to support self-management of frailty. In particular, the discussion has highlighted the following priorities:
- Performing physical tasks and activities in and outside the home
- Coping with psychological pressures
- The cognitive burdens of ageing
In addition to this, a number of barriers to the adoption and deployment of robots in the real world have also been identified; these include:
- Safety concerns
- Incompatibility with lifestyle and living environments
- The need for maintenance and the added burden of use
- Doubts about the practicality, usefulness, usability and desirability of robots
- The need for readily customisable or personalisable solutions
- Difficulty of integration with existing technologies and connected devices
- Unclear financial implications and service models
The workshop has contributed to finalise the EMERGENCE Healthcare Technologies Network+ Robotics for Frailty Challenge Funding Call.
People
CARE Group
The CARE Group is affiliated with Heriot-Watt University, the National Robotarium, and the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics. The National Robotarium and the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics are collaborations between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.