Safety / Perceived Safety

The robot must feel safe — not only be safe

For residents, safety is also about experience.

A robot that moves suddenly, behaves unpredictably or appears intrusive can create discomfort even if it is technically safe.

INGUNN is designed to behave in a calm, understandable and socially considerate way.

Neutral and
friendly design

Predictable
movement

Clear light
signals

Comfortable sound
and motion behavior

Early and visible
navigation intention

Reduced risk of
startling residents

Patient friendly behavior creates trust

In a nursing home, a robot is not only evaluated by whether it avoids obstacles. It is also evaluated by how it behaves around people, especially the residents that may have impaired cognitive or physical skills.

Residents should be able to understand the robot’s movement and feel comfortable when it passes, waits or changes direction nearby.

Perceived safety focus areas

Calm, predictable movement in corridors and shared spaces
Clear visual signals so people can understand robot status
Gentle sound and motion behavior to avoid startling residents
Early and visible intention when navigating around people
Respectful distance around residents, wheelchairs and walking aids
Behavior that supports trust among staff, residents and visitors

Designed to be understandable

Predictable movement

INGUNN should move in a way that feels calm and understandable, especially when passing people in corridors.

Clear intention

The robot should make its movement intention visible early, so residents and staff do not have to guess what it will do next.

Non-threatening presence

The robot’s appearance and behavior should support a neutral, friendly and non-intrusive presence in resident areas.

Comfortable signals

Light and sound behavior should support awareness without becoming stressful, loud or disturbing.

Socially considerate routes

INGUNN should be configured to respect shared spaces, waiting areas and resident movement patterns.

Staff confidence

When staff understand the robot’s behavior, they can introduce it more confidently to residents and visitors.

INGUNN moving calmly in a nursing-home corridor around residents and staff

Safety that residents can feel

Residents may not know what sensors, standards or safety controllers are. What they experience is the robot’s movement, distance, sound, light and it's physical design.

That is why perceived safety is central to INGUNN. The robot should behave in a way that feels calm, predictable and respectful.

A robot can be technically safe and still feel unsettling. INGUNN is therefore configured to blend naturally into the nursing home environment, rather than becoming a source of disturbance.

Make safety visible, calm and understandable

PPM helps nursing homes configure INGUNN for patient friendly operation in real corridors, elevator areas and resident-facing environments.

Discuss a pilot project