Mehrotra, SiddharthMotti, Vivian GenaroFrijns, HelenaAkkoc, TugceYengec, Sena BusraCalik, OguzNeerincx, Mark A.2024-07-052024-07-052016978145034863810.1145/3014362.3014372https://doi.org/10.1145/3014362.3014372https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14411/554Neerincx, Mark/0000-0002-8161-5722; Peeters, Marieke M.M./0000-0002-9984-4910; Frijns, Helena Anna/0000-0003-3866-7380; Genaro Motti, Vivian/0000-0003-1336-3743; Mehrotra, Siddharth/0000-0002-2067-3451This paper describes the design and development of an embodied conversational agent (ECA) that provides a social interface for older adults. Following a user centred design approach, we implemented a multimodal agent consisting of a virtual character and a robot. This so-called "bi-bodied conversational agent for elderly" was iteratively refined and developed through participatory design and rapid prototyping in 3 consecutive focus groups with a total of 21 elderly users. In addition to the two bodies, a Wizard-of-Oz control panel was developed, enabling researchers to control both bodies so as to respond to the user's instructions, questions, and remarks. The research resulted in a platform that can be used for future research on elderly-robot and elderly-avatar interaction. In addition, the research resulted in insights about elderly users' preferences regarding the appearance and design of a virtual and a robotic ECA (Embodied Conversational Agent), described in results that can be reused in future experiments involving ECA for elderly users.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccesskeyboardmouseor touchscreen [1]Conference Object9095WOS:0004063764000106