Generative Encounters with Robin: Design through Adaptation and Appropriation of a Social Robot in Four Eldercare Facilities

Iterative engagement conceptualizes robot design as a continuous process that extends beyond initial deployment, using real-life feedback from "generative encounters" with residents and staff to guide ongoing technology improvements. This study examines iterative development of "Robin the Robot"—a socially assistive robot deployed across multiple eldercare facilities—to investigate how contextual factors influence robot use, appropriation, and collaborative adaptation by developers and users. Using ethnographic methods, we conducted interviews with robot developers and care facility staff, along with on-site observations of interactions between older adults, care staff, and the robot. Our analysis reveals four key contextual factors that affect user perceptions and robot use: resident types within each facility, staff mental models of the robot, communication practices between staff and developers, and users' awareness of remote teleoperators. Our findings contribute new insights into how contextual factors shape eldercare robot adaptation and appropriation across diverse care institutions, providing practical guidance for designing socially assistive robots that can be effectively integrated into varied care environments.