To effectively utilize gaze in one-to-many communication, robots must direct and avert their gaze with appropriate timing. However, few studies have focused on this aspect of communication because of the difficulty in detecting the position of many gaze recipients and directing appropriate gazes to each. This paper proposes a system of robotic eyes that can send averted or direct gazes simultaneously to multiple recipients by switching between convex and hollow eye shapes, which we call Transgazer.

Various types of communication robots have emerged for supporting elderly people with impairments or frailties. However, the need of the robots for healthy elderly persons with decreasing physical and cognitive abilities remains unclear. Knowledge about these needs can help determine the guidelines or implications of the introduction of communication robots for healthy seniors. The objective of this study is to clarify the needs and the impressions of various communication robots for seniors with slight physical or cognitive problems. The scores on the system usability scale (SUS) and interview results indicated that, with increasing participant age, mammal-like communication robots were more preferable than other types. In addition, elderly persons with minor physical problems tended not to prefer manually operated robots.