Culturally Sensitive Emotional AI-Enhanced Social Robots for Isolated Elderly in Taiwan: Design, Implementation, and Acceptance Study

Taiwan’s rapidly aging population and rising numbers of older adults living alone have created gaps in emotional support that community-based long-term care cannot fully address. This study evaluated a culturally sensitive, emotionally intelligent social robot for socially isolated, community-dwelling older adults using a convergent mixed-methods design ( n = 52) over a 6-week home deployment with pre- and post-measures and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results showed reduced loneliness (M = −4.5, p < .001) and modest mood improvements, while qualitative data indicated that bilingual interaction (Taiwanese Mandarin/Min Nan), indirect emotional language, and culturally familiar content increased comfort and engagement, with participants emphasizing the robot should complement, not replace, human care. Findings suggest culturally grounded emotional AI robots can serve as scalable adjuncts to Taiwan’s Long-Term Care 2.0 and inform gerontechnology design in other culturally diverse aging societies.