AUTHOR=Simmerlein Jonas , Tretter Max 

TITLE=What about spiritual needs? Care robotics and spiritual care

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Robotics and AI

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2024.1455133

DOI=10.3389/frobt.2024.1455133

ISSN=2296-9144

ABSTRACT=Health is a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects. Therefore, it is only logical that good care should be holistic and include all these dimensions. However, when examining the current field of health and care robotics, the spiritual aspect is notably neglected. As a result, current health and care robots cannot provide holistic care. This paper argues that this neglect should be addressed, and, drawing on the emerging field of spiritual robotics, that spiritual aspects should receive greater attention when considering, developing, or deploying health and care robots. We also propose guidelines for equipping health and care robots with the necessary spiritual capabilities.