ABSTRACT
Ageing, as a substantial body of sociological work has established, cannot be understood without some reference to technology. Technological developments, like the advent of various walking aids and mobile phones, have transformed how ageing is experienced and socially structured. This chapter explore how one of the frontiers in gerontechnology is the advent of robotic technologies for aged care and employs a sociological approach. It outlines how and why robots for older people are being developed in the contemporary era across different contexts. It then covers the ethical issues that have been raised about the use of these robotic technologies. The chapter provides an overview of how the social and cultural sciences have critically investigated many of the assumptions that have been made about the future of aged care robots. It concludes with a discussion of how the social and cultural study of aged care robots can be further expanded and deepened.
