Unintended Failures of Robot-Assisted Feeding in Social Contexts

Amal Nanavati, Patrícia Alves-Oliveira, Tyler Schrenk, Ethan K. Gordon, Maya Cakmak, Siddhartha S. Srinivasa

Abstract: Over 1.8 million Americans require assistance eating. Robot-assisted feeding is a promising way to empower people with motor impairments to eat independently. Yet, most robot-assisted feeding research has focused on individual dining (e.g., eating at home with a caregiver), but not social dining (e.g., family meals, friends' brunch, romantic dates). What happens when a robot developed for individual contexts gets used in social contexts? In this humorous video, we present unintended consequences that can arise from robot-assisted feeding in social settings. This video aims to raise awareness about the importance of accounting for social context when designing assistive robots.