  College students with ADHD respond positively to simple socially assistive
robots (SARs) that monitor attention and provide non-verbal feedback, but
studies have been done only in brief in-lab sessions. We present an initial
design and evaluation of an in-dorm SAR study companion for college students
with ADHD. This work represents the introductory stages of an ongoing
user-centered, participatory design process. In a three-week within-subjects
user study, university students (N=11) with self-reported symptoms of adult
ADHD had a SAR study companion in their dorm room for two weeks and a
computer-based system for one week. Toward developing SARs for long-term,
in-dorm use, we focus on 1) evaluating the usability and desire for SAR study
companions by college students with ADHD and 2) collecting participant feedback
about the SAR design and functionality. Participants responded positively to
the robot; after one week of regular use, 91% (10 of 11) chose to continue
using the robot voluntarily in the second week.
