Abstract
Intrinsic Capacity (IC)—cognitive, sensory/communication, psychological, mobility and vitality—declines in dementia, challenging fixed assistance. We developed a socially assistive robot that delivers help only when needed and adapts modality and intensity to preserved abilities. The assist-as-needed policy detects task progress, estimates need, and escalates from brief verbal reminders to stepwise speech, visual/video prompts with gestures, and navigational leading, tuning cue frequency by performance and hypothesized stage (MCI–moderate). In feasibility pilots with healthy adults and family caregivers (N=12) completing simulated ADLs, adaptive control reduced completion time and unnecessary prompts versus fixed step-by-step baselines while preserving success.
