Human-Centered Reflections on Care Robots: A Comparative Study of Caregiver Perspectives
2026-08-03 • Robotics
RoboticsArtificial IntelligenceEmerging TechnologiesMachine Learning
AI summaryⓘ
The authors studied how caregivers from the US, Mexico, and Chile feel about different types of care robots used in healthcare, like those delivering supplies or helping with patient mobility. They found caregivers generally like robots for tasks that are physical or logistical, but are less comfortable with robots in roles needing close human interaction. The authors also gathered ethical concerns, noting worries about job loss, robot reliability, and the need for human supervision, though views on these varied by country. Their work helps guide careful and socially aware use of care robots in hospitals.
care robotstechnology acceptancehealthcare ethicshuman-robot interactionUnified Theory of Acceptance and Use of TechnologyCognitive-Affective-Normative modelqualitative researchmixed-methods studypatient autonomyjob displacement
Authors
Laura Londoño, Klaus Baumann, Abhinav Valada, Markus Langer
Abstract
Care robots are increasingly being introduced into healthcare settings, raising important questions about their acceptance and ethical implementation. To better understand these challenges, this study investigates caregivers' perceptions of four categories of care robots: delivering supplies, helping patients into bed, monitoring vital signs, and assisting with mobility. We conducted a mixed-methods study employing a mixed-factorial design in which 298 caregivers from the United States, Mexico, and Chile evaluated all four robot categories. Quantitative measures integrated constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the Cognitive-Affective-Normative model, and overall acceptance ratings. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended questions and analyzed using a literature-informed ethical framework. The results indicate that participants across countries generally evaluated care robots positively, particularly for logistical and physically demanding tasks rather than those requiring intensive interpersonal interaction. The qualitative findings provide further insight into stakeholders' views of the ethical implications of care robot use. Participants emphasized potential benefits such as reduced workload, lower risk, and greater patient autonomy, while also expressing concerns about dependability, the need for human oversight, and potential job displacement. Although many ethical concerns were shared across countries, participants differed in how they interpreted and prioritized them. These findings advance a context-sensitive and socially informed understanding of responsible design and implementation of care robots.