Developing an Empathetic Interaction Model for Elderly in Pandemics

Abstract

This paper presents research on integrating artificial emotional intelligence in a social robot (Sugunan) and its effectiveness in engaging older adults. The empathic Sugunan utilises a multimodal emotion recognition algorithm and a multimodal emotion expression system, detecting user’s emotional state and generating an appropriate response through an effective dialogue manager. To facilitate interaction with Sugunan, an android app is used as an interface, utilising the mobile phone’s inbuilt camera and microphone for facial expression and speech sentiment detection. The captured data is processed in the cloud, enabling the model to be deployed remotely. The study aims to create an empathetic interaction model for senior citizens , particularly during pandemics like COVID-19 to prevent feelings of isolation