The coimagination method is a method for the prevention of dementia in which “a group of 3-6 people brings materials such as photos and discussion topics on a decided theme, and the speaker and listener take turns on the specific time to share their thoughts and feelings.”
This coimagination method requires a moderator who provides the topic and manages the time. By Bono-chan taking the role as a moderator in the group conversation, there are the advantages such as “people in the group can take turns in discussions in a well-balanced manner”, and “the conversation time can be managed without discomfort and even a laughter may break out”. Furthermore, it eliminates the need of accommodating a moderator and makes it possible for more groups to participate in the coimagination method with small numbers of human moderators.
Reference:
M. Otake-Matsuura, S. Tokunaga (2020). Development of a group conversation support robot Bono-05 for cognitive health of older adults. Gerontechnology, 19(0), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2020.19.s.69673
From a request of Riken, Yukai Engineering assisted in the design, hardware design/manufacturing and firmware design/production.
