hUGO, a Humanoid Robot for Training Memory: A Pilot Study on Healthy Younger and Older Adults

Low birth rates and higher life expectancy are shaping a society that is aging very quickly. Indeed, in 2023 the EU Statistical Office estimated that one-fifth of the EU population was aged 65 years old and over. More importantly, the number of older adults destined to live alone in the future has increased and society is facing a strong positive correlation between health costs and age. This aging population will need more medical and psychological support and will impact the healthcare system and healthcare costs by increasing the number of healthcare workers necessary in critical sectors. Moreover, successful aging, has led to yet another crucial issue to be faced by modern society. The need to identify a sufficient number of qualified individuals to support older adults' healthcare needs and successful aging. In recent years, there has been a significant growth in studies concerning the use of robots in social assistance contexts, a field of study known as Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR), where the acronym SAR is used to refer to robots providing social assistance. One of the most frequently used robots in assistive settings is NAO. This small humanoid robot has great potential in social applications. The characteristics and capabilities of the NAO robot, such as motor skills, functionality, and affective abilities, have been studied in various contexts. The present pilot study evaluates the feasibility of the hUGO (Humanoid to GO) platform (developed by the first author of this contribution, based on the NAO robot), to replace the human trainer in the administration of a memory training protocol developed to actively sustain working memory in aging individuals.