FriWalk robotic walker: usability, acceptance and UX evaluation after a pilot study in a real environment

Abstract

Background: Scientific evidence supports that prevention strategies like multicomponent physical exercise help avoiding functional decline, falls and frailty. The robotic walker FriWalk, developed within the ACANTO project, supports the execution of controlled physical activities during hospital admission to prevent functional deterioration associated to prolonged bedrest. FriWalk shows in a clinical validation study a positive relationship with improvement in physical performance, basic activities of daily living execution and frailty status. Usability, acceptance and user experience (UX) are key aspects to ease the adoption of assistive technologies in the elderly.

Objective: This work pursues the evaluation of the usability, acceptance and UX of the FriWalk from the patients and clinical professionals’ perspectives.

Methods: Data collected during the validation of FriWalk in a real environment have been used. Forty-two patients recruited at Getafe University Hospital (Acute Care and Orthogeriatric Units) and one clinical professional participated. SUS, TAM, UX and ad hoc questionnaires were administered.

Results: Patients provided an average SUS of 52.86 and provided valuable information in the qualitative acceptance interviews. The clinical professional provided an averaged SUS and TAM of 67 and 46.6, respectively, and evaluated all UX categories as above average.

Conclusions: Usability results do not qualify FriWalk as above average; the reasons explaining this have been identified and point out to the prototypical stage of the hardware. Acceptance and UX were positively evaluated and allowed the research team to propose a new organizational model to deliver the FriWalk-based prevention program. FriWalk will be soon evolved.

Implications for rehabilitation

• FriWalk showed in a randomized clinical trial a positive relationship with improvement in physical performance, basic activities of daily living execution and frailty status.

• In terms of usability, user experience (UX) and acceptance, participants of the study have valued the FriWalk robotic walker as a promising help, considering that the device that has been under evaluation was still in a prototype stage.

• Clinical professional reported FriWalk and its corresponding exercise program description software regarding usability, acceptance and UX as satisfactory tool to prescribe and assess a rehabilitation program for hospitalized patients.

Keywords:

• Usability
• user experience
• acceptance
• robotics
• walker
• prevention
• functional decline
• hospital

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all partners participating in the ACANTO project: Università degli Studi di Trento, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Oesterreich, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Telecom Italia, Atos Spain, University of Northumbria and Università degli Studi di Siena.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the ACANTO (A CyberphysicAl social NeTwOrk using robot friends) project under grant GA 643644 funded by Horizon 2020.