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"MeBo Leaves a Piece of You Behind": Designing a Relational Voice-Based Memory Companion for Older Adults

arXiv · AI, language, vision and robotics · article · Sep 21, 2026 · UTC

Autobiographical remembering supports identity, well-being, and social connection in later life, yet voice-based memory technologies largely rely on isolated prompts. We designed and built MeBo, a fully functional relational voice-based memory companion, through participatory design with 11 older adults. Their accounts shaped four Design Strategies that guided MeBo's interaction design and multi-agent implementation. In a mixed-methods evaluation with 20 older adults, participants found MeBo exceptionally usable (SUS = 87.75), enjoyable, sociable, emotionally responsive, and trustworthy. Parti

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