Designing Robots with, not for: A Co-Design Framework for Empowering Interactions in Forensic Psychiatry

Qiaoqiao Ren; Remko Proesmans; Arend Pissens; Lara Dehandschutter; William Denecker; Lotte Rouckhout; Joke Carrette; Peter Vanhopplinus; Tony Belpaeme; Francis wyffels

arXiv · 2507.14931

Designing Robots with, not for: A Co-Design Framework for Empowering Interactions in Forensic Psychiatry

Qiaoqiao Ren·Remko Proesmans·Arend Pissens·Lara Dehandschutter·William Denecker·Lotte Rouckhout·Joke Carrette·Peter Vanhopplinus·Tony Belpaeme·Francis wyffels

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Abstract

Forensic mental health care involves the treatment of individuals with severe mental disorders who have committed violent offences. These settings are often characterized by high levels of bureaucracy, risk avoidance, and restricted autonomy. Patients frequently experience a profound loss of control over their lives, leading to heightened psychological stress-sometimes resulting in isolation as a safety measure. In this study, we explore how co-design can be used to collaboratively develop a companion robot that helps monitor and regulate stress while maintaining tracking of the patients' interaction behaviours for long-term intervention. We conducted four co-design workshops in a forensic psychiatric clinic with patients, caregivers, and therapists. Our process began with the presentation of an initial speculative prototype to therapists, enabling reflection on shared concerns, ethical risks, and desirable features. This was followed by a creative ideation session with patients, a third workshop focused on defining desired functions and emotional responses, and we are planning a final prototype demo to gather direct patient feedback. Our findings emphasize the importance of empowering patients in the design process and adapting proposals based on their current emotional state. The goal was to empower the patient in the design process and ensure each patient's voice was heard.

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Qiaoqiao Ren, Remko Proesmans, Arend Pissens, Lara Dehandschutter, William Denecker, Lotte Rouckhout, Joke Carrette, Peter Vanhopplinus, Tony Belpaeme, Francis wyffels. 2025-07-20. Designing Robots with, not for: A Co-Design Framework for Empowering Interactions in Forensic Psychiatry. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.14931

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