Senior Citizens May Accept Robot Helpers, But Fear Robot Masters From: ECN - 02/01/2016 Senior citizens would likely accept robots as helpers and entertainment providers, but are leery of giving up too much control to the machines, according to researchers. Based on a study of senior citizens, the researchers said that mental models formed by seniors - specifically, negative and positive notions about robots - shape their comfort level with the machines. The participants in the study indicated they saw robots as useful in three aspects of their lives: physical, informational, and interactional. They felt most comfortable with robots as helpers and butlers. Older adults also seemed more likely to accept robots that provide them information and entertainment, according to the researchers. Seniors, however, may be less likely to use robots that are designed to be more autonomous. An autonomous robot can make its own decisions and may not need to wait for a senior's commands to engage in a task. Read the entire article at: http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2016/02/senior-citizens-may-accept-robot-helpers-fear-robot-masters http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160201125514.htm http://news.psu.edu/story/390137/2016/02/01/research/senior-citizens-may-accept-robot-helpers-fear-robot-masters http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2016/02/senior-citizens-may-accept-robot-helpers-fear-robot-masters Links: S. Shyam Sundar http://comm.psu.edu/people/individual/s.-shyam-sundar Mental models of robots among senior citizens: An interview study of interaction expectations and design implications http://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/is.16.1.04wal