Table 4 Example quotes of Theme 3. Facilitating social interaction.

3.1 Acting as a social catalyst

[F6] “I’d think you’d get a lot of people looking at you.”

[Interviewer] “Yes, you do.”

[F6] “Now, for myself, that wouldn't bother me! [Chuckles] And I think would be a great talking point!”—F6, Aged 70

“I enjoy talking to people, and I think that people should talk more, quite honestly. And something that invites curiosity and I was out with it, then I would think “This is a novelty, of course I’m prepared to talk about it”, just as my friend at the moment who has got an adult tricycle. That invites comment…

…I think it is important for people to, sort of, to engage with other people around them. Talk with them. So, you know, if I had something like that and was out, and therefore I was talking to people and they were talking to me, I would feel that a bonus on the social side. For them, as well as me.”—F9, Aged 81

“And I could see it as being a sort of a way… I think, a way of making friends in the sense that I am sure my neighbours would want to chat about it.”—F1, Aged 81

“It wouldn't bother me, but I wouldn't be going out to get a robot just to draw attention to myself. If I wanted to do that I could… I could paint myself into a robot and pretend to be a robot myself. It’s not, you know, it's not like I would want to go out to meet and talk to different people just because I’ve got a robot.”—M6, Aged 61

“Mixed feelings. Mixed. You know, some will be genuinely think it's a bit of fun, but you will get you as a course who’ll think ‘What a load of rubbish’, you know. “What are you doing with that walking behind”, this sort of thing.”—M5, Aged 79

“I would have stayed well clear of them. [Laughs] To give the robot some space. I mean in terms of the sensors and things like that, I don't want it to start following me by accident.”—M6, Aged 61

3.2 Unwanted attention

“My wife is a bit self-conscious, and I think she’d rather be dead than seen with one of those travelling with her.”—M2, Aged 83

“But there again, you are announcing that I’m an older person and…. I think people will think that it's not for shopping, they’ll think that you're being guarded.”—F5, Aged 82

“Well, I wouldn't really mind if people came up to chat and say hello, but if it's people who are up to no good…”—F5, Aged 82

“…What would happen if somebody decided that they wanted they wanted to take it with them? You know, if somebody thought “Gosh, that’s a useful thing. I would like that, for myself”. Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't want to try and stop anybody taking it. That would be an issue really.”—F1, Aged 81

[F9] “Well, I don’t think I’d take it out when I’m out at night

[Interviewer] “No?”

“No. I think, you know, there are some people out at night and, you know, no regard for me whatsoever, and you know just like that. There might be some out who “Oh, oh. She's got one of those things! We’ll go out one night and…”.”—F9, Aged 81

“I think I’d be more bothered by people trying to interact with it themselves. I think that could be a problem if you if you come, you know, a big gang of teenage boys or something that they're mucking around, and you know they would want to play with it or have a sit down on it while it's moving […] I can see that being an issue…”—M6, Aged 61