Assistive Technology
We examine ethical issues arising in connection with the use of devices or systems that enable an individual to perform a task that they would otherwise have difficulty with or be unable to do.
Such devices include simple home adaptations and mobility aids, as well as more hi-tech gadgets used in ‘telecare’ and ‘telehealth’, such as monitors and sensors that incorporate alerts to a third party.
Ethical issues typically examined include:
- The potential of AT to further isolate vulnerable people by reducing human interaction
- Risks to autonomy or privacy from the monitoring of people – particularly those with cognitive impairments
ACCOMPANY
A project on care robots for the elderly.
EASEL
Developed a teaching robot for children.
FROG
A project on robots guiding children through a museum or gallery.
Six Values Re-writing Laws of Healthcare Robotics
Professor Tom Sorell spoke with Robotics Business Review about these six values and how roboticists can incorporate them into their designs.