MiRo-E robot customizability review : usability of a social robot for the people with disabilities
Eloranta, Anna (2025)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025100625598
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025100625598
Tiivistelmä
This thesis was an assignment of the RoboFlex-project managed by Centria University of Applied Sciences’ RDI department. The scope of the study was to collect information on the usability of the social MiRo-E robot for adult persons with mild and moderate intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Main scope of the work remains on the technical side, such as the robot's software modifiability, but at the same time it aims to involve people from different backgrounds in the design work as part of participatory development and to bring social robotics closer to people who may not have previous experience in the subject.
The research visits were conducted in Soite’s Toimintakeskus Kompassi which offers work and day activities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The data collected during two visits in April 2025 was based on observations, short oral interviews, and video documentation, focusing on the user's interaction with the robot. It also gave participants the opportunity to explore and deepen their understanding of social robots in general. With their given feedback they were able to influence some functionalities of the MiRo-E robot before the second visit in the end of April.
The results measured the participants' reactions and engagement with the robot, as well as the usability of MiRo-E with people with intellectual disabilities. The technical part aimed to examine the robot's software requirements within the Linux environment and whether it is possible to program the robot with new files based on which it would operate in different demonstration sites. These results showed that bypassing the default software is not possible in situations where the robot cannot be controlled with a device on the same network (in this case, a computer).
The research visits were conducted in Soite’s Toimintakeskus Kompassi which offers work and day activities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The data collected during two visits in April 2025 was based on observations, short oral interviews, and video documentation, focusing on the user's interaction with the robot. It also gave participants the opportunity to explore and deepen their understanding of social robots in general. With their given feedback they were able to influence some functionalities of the MiRo-E robot before the second visit in the end of April.
The results measured the participants' reactions and engagement with the robot, as well as the usability of MiRo-E with people with intellectual disabilities. The technical part aimed to examine the robot's software requirements within the Linux environment and whether it is possible to program the robot with new files based on which it would operate in different demonstration sites. These results showed that bypassing the default software is not possible in situations where the robot cannot be controlled with a device on the same network (in this case, a computer).