Ahmad, Sunbul, Ahmad, Muneeb, Fuentes, Carolina  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0871-939X, Verdezoto Dias, Nervo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5006-4262 and Stawarz, Katarzyna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9021-0615
2026.
Technology meets tradition: investigating user acceptance and engagement with robots for supporting older adults in Pakistani homes.
Presented at: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems,
Barcelona, Spain,
13-17 April 2026.
Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
New York, NY, USA:
ACM,
10.1145/3772318.3790658
|
Preview |
PDF
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (22MB) | Preview |
Abstract
As Pakistan’s population ages and traditional care structures evolve, there is increasing interest in technological solutions for supporting older adults at home. This study investigates the potential of social assistive robots (SARs) in Pakistani homes, focusing on cultural values, inter-generational living, and limited access to such technologies. In a 3-day mixed-methods home study, 14 older adults interacted with a SAR communicating in Urdu. Through observations, interviews, and questionnaires, we evaluated the robot's acceptability, engagement, and cultural compatibility. The results highlighted the need for culturally sensitive design, emphasising the role of robots as companions rather than replacements for human care, and the importance of robot’s ability to communicate in Urdu. We discuss how SARs could be designed to reflect the characteristics of Pakistani households, including faith, family values, everyday routines, and environmental factors. Our design considerations can benefit research on deploying SARs to support older adults in Pakistan and similar cultures.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item - published (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Status: | In Press |
| Schools: | Schools > Computer Science & Informatics |
| Publisher: | ACM |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 27 January 2026 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 15 January 2026 |
| Last Modified: | 27 Jan 2026 15:45 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/184148 |
Actions (repository staff only)
 |
Edit Item |
Dimensions
Dimensions