Although social robots have been prognosed to be widely deployed in the healthcare sector in the future, their acceptance is relatively low. While a large body of research investigates how different robot design features play a role in robot acceptance, robot color seems to be under-researched. Using Value Sensitive Design, an approach that suggests incorporating the values of end-users in technology design, the primary purpose of this study is to identify the most suitable color scheme for social robots that represent the values of potential users in the healthcare sector.

First of all, secondary research was conducted in order to acquire knowledge on value theory, color psychology, and social robots in general. Moreover, primary research in the form of an online survey (N = 142) was conducted to investigate the values and respective color preferences of the survey participants in order to identify the most suitable color scheme for social robots in healthcare.

The study suggests that the five most common values that people relate with healthcare are “competence”, “physical well-being”, “security”, “human dignity”, and “trust”. All of these values were associated with either turquoise or green. The three emotions that the respondents mostly mentioned when thinking about the hospital environment were fearful, insecure, and unhealthy. These emotions have been mainly associated with red. Thus, it is recommended to apply either a turquoise and white or a green and white color scheme for social robots in healthcare in order to enhance the acceptance of social robots. Moreover, it is suggested to avoid the color red, as it was associated mainly with negative feelings in the context of healthcare.