Exploring the Role of Humanoid Care Robots in Supporting Aging in Place for Older Adults: An Exploratory Study in an Apartment Residential Environment

This study aims to explore the potential of humanoid care robots to support Aging in Place (AIP) as an emerging approach to community-based elder care in response to the challenges of a superaged society.The research was designed as an exploratory study to examine older adults' initial technology acceptance and the primary fit among older adults, humanoid care robots, and the residential environment.Data were collected through two-hour interaction sessions between 40 communitydwelling older adults residing in apartment complexes in Daejeon, South Korea, and a humanoid care robot.The findings were analyzed using the theoretical perspectives of the Person-Environment Fit Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Social Support Theory.The results indicate that environmental factors in real residential settings, particularly ambient noise, reduced the operational accuracy of certain robot functions.Furthermore, both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the humanoid care robot were positively correlated with older adults' intention to use the robot.Furthermore, humanoid care robots demonstrated high levels of satisfaction in providing instrumental support to compensate for declines in older adults' cognitive and physical functioning, particularly through functions such as memory assistance and emergency call support.These findings suggest the potential of humanoid care robots as a source of emotional support for alleviating social isolation among older adults.This study proposes policy directions and social work practice models for integrating humanoid care robots into community-based elder care service systems.